The Minish Magician
by EternalFluffy
Summary: A year after the Minish Cap manga, Vaati accompanies Link on a new quest to save the world. Together, they must gather the Secondary Elements...and come to terms with their innermost feelings. LinkxVaati.
1. The Weary Traveler

This was never meant to be posted here. I wrote it just for my own personal enjoyment. Admittedly, that's the only reason anyone writes fanfiction to begin with, but this story I especially never thought I'd be putting up on this site. That said, you're going to find many things that you probably don't agree with.

First of all, although the original intention of this story was to write something in which Link and Vaati work together on an adventure, it eventually developed itself naturally into a LinkxVaati shounen-ai story. That was my motivation for putting it up—to make some kind of contribution to the sadly small number of stories about this (IMO) great pairing. There's not really too much of that stuff in this chapter—they're just getting to be friends—but trust me, it does pick up in later chapters. It's very light, though, I promise, and more of a "cute" kind of boy-love. I only rated the story T because it _is_ two boys together, and this chapter has quite a bit of blood…

I'll say this up-front, so no one complains about it. Vaati is OOC. Very OOC. Link may be a bit too, though less so. I can make an excuse of this by reminding you that this is a story taking place after the _manga_ version of The Minish Cap. Vaati is that pathetic little sobbing minish at the end. His real personality may actually be the complete opposite of the "mask" he put on. He even looks different in human form now, which I explain within the story. Eh, I'm just making excuses now… But if you're looking for a romantic slash fic, this ain't it. It's just cute. Maybe too cute.

And since this _is_ based on the manga version of The Minish Cap, there are many "manga-izations". For instance, the Minish are only called the Picori, and the portals between minish and human worlds are called "entrances". If you've read the manga, you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, all you really need to know is that Vaati turned back into a minish at the end instead of dying, and was forgiven.

Much of Link's "speech" has been cut or radically altered. If you read the original version, its sappy sweet sappiness would make you throw up. Or roll your eyes. Or cry. Or all three at once.

Don't ask how the doctor has all the modern available technology. It might be a bit unrealistic, but that's just…the way it came out.

Part of this story—the part about Vaati's attacks—came from another fanfic I read somewhere. Not here. I don't remember the author's name… But it was unfinished, and I really like the idea, so I kind of stole it… Just letting you know, that idea isn't mine! (Slaps self for being a despicable thief)

Vaati, Link, Smith, and anyone else mentioned belong to Nintendo. I forgot the manga maker's name, but them too. The "attacks" don't belong to me either, but I forgot the author's name…it was someone at Deviantart, I think.

(-)

Chapter 1: The Weary Traveler

A streak of lightning flashed across the young boy's face as his clinking hammer drew sparks from the hot iron. Unbearable heat swam out from the furnace beneath him, but he was used to this prickly pain by now. He squinted with one blue eye at the sparking sword in front of him under the mess of golden hair flopping onto his forehead. Just a few more bangs into shape, and it would be complete.

Link smiled to himself. At last, he'd advanced far enough in his sword-making apprenticeship to try making a small sword of his own, and now his hard work was about to pay off! The natural flicker of yellow light and the echoing _boom_ from outside made him feel a bit like a mad scientist. Link looked down at the incomplete sword and felt an odd sense of sorrow. He remembered so long ago when he'd watched his grandfather make the sword to give to the champion of the Picori Festival. He'd made the one this year as well, but it hadn't been the same.

That year, he'd gone on the greatest adventure of his life…and now it seemed like nothing. A part of him missed Ezlo, the old smart-alek, and the picori he'd met along the way. It saddened him that he was beginning to grow up. He'd been seeing less and less picori around lately.

KRAKKL! A fearsome thunderclap reminded Link of the present. He picked up his hammer again and turned his attention back down towards the sword. He had to finish it before the storm really picked up and his grandfather called him upstairs to bed. He just had to finish it today!

Though a part of him wondered why he had suddenly recalled all of that just then. The Picori…Ezlo…Vaati…gathering the elements…saving Princess Zelda from a future as a castle statue.

At last, with one last clank, it was finished! Link lifted the sword from the smooth surface of the anvil and admired it for a moment before slipping it into a marked slot for finished swords behind him. This was much inferior to the rest of Smith's swords, but maybe it would be used for practicing or in a play and Link felt proud all the same. Someday, he hoped to be just as good a sword-smith as his grandfather.

Something very unusual was in the air, and Link shivered just slightly as he gathered up the materials. Suddenly, as he was packing the tools away, he heard a light thump. _Probably just the wind_, he chalked it up to. The heavy winds could be fierce in the middle of a big thunderstorm like this.

"Link!" the desperate voice of his grandfather called from upstairs. "Please! Answer that door!"

Door? Someone was at the door?! Who was crazy enough to come visit them in _this_ weather?! Link's innocent blue eyes popped wide open. No…please, no…not…_Zelda_?!

"I'm coming!" Link yelled, breaking into a panicked sprint for the door. The scraper that had been in his hands clanked and twirled to a stop on the wooden floor of the workshop. As he drew closer, the light knocking came again. "I'm coming!" Link called again. "Just hang on!" Smith was rushing down the steps behind him.

Link scrabbled for the handle and at last, flung the door open to greet their thunderstorm visitor. But the visitor wasn't, as Link had suspected, Princess Zelda, or as Smith had suspected, a homeless man looking for shelter. Link couldn't speak—he was in shock at the mere sight, and Smith hurried to his side in protective, fatherly instinct. How…? Why…? What…?

Before them stood, or rather slumped, a familiar teenage boy. He gripped tightly to the door-casing in order to support himself. His cheeks looked hollow and bony, his thin eyebrows buried in pain and effort. Parts of his sleeves and the bottom of his tunic were ripped. The tunic was a light indigo color. His puffy pants and sandals were red…perfectly matching his squinting eyes. He was stark pale—his skin entirely bleach white. And his long, frazzled lavender hair hung over his ears and covered the right side of his face.

Slowly, Link gathered up the courage to speak his name, as he stood heaving for breath in front of him. "V…_Vaati_?!"

Immediately, Smith jumped in front of his grandson, shielding him from the sorcerer's view. "I'm warning you, mister!" he shouted. "Stay away from this town! We don't need monsters like you crawling back to the surface!"

"Grandpa!" Link pleaded, poking out over his burly old arm. "It's okay! I don't think he's going to hurt us. Besides, he doesn't look well. Please, just let me talk to him."

Reluctantly, Smith lowered his arms and allowed his grandson to pass, but not before shooting Vaati a few resentful glares.

Vaati looked up into Link's face with shiny red eyes. Link opened his mouth to ask a question, but the slumped sorcerer recovered his breath just then. "…L-Link..." His voice was shaky and penetrated by gasps. "I…" And that was when his eyelids rolled shut, and his body crumpled to the floor with a sickening _thunk_.

"Vaati!" Link cried, jumping aside from the body. "Oh my Goddesses! Is he still alive?!"

Smith took one disgruntled look down at the body and nodded. "Yep. The thing's still breathing."

"So he passed out," Link deduced. He slowly knelt down next to the body and lifted his head a little. "He can use my bed for now," he offered. "I really don't mind the floor. Or I could even sleep on the chairs in the parlor."

Smith's frown deepened. "No, Link," he commanded. "I don't want you giving up your bed for this demon. I know it's in your nature, but…"

"What are we supposed to do?" Link argued. "Just leave him on the floor like this?! Kick him out into the rain where he'll die?! I know Vaati's done some terrible things to this country, but in the end, Zelda and I gave him forgiveness. I can't just watch him die now!"

Smith's bearded face went grave again. He sighed. "Okay, but I'll have to keep checking in to make sure nothing happens."

"Help…" Link pleaded as he propped Vaati's limp head and shoulders against his knees. "C'mon, grandpa, you grab his legs and we'll carry him up the stairs."

Grudgingly, Smith bent down on the body's other side and gripped the unconscious sorcerer by the ankles. With a unified push, the two of them lifted him and began to move towards the stairs to Link's room. He felt surprisingly light—either Link has gotten stronger, Vaati had gotten thinner, or most likely, a combination of both. Vaati certainly _looked_ thinner, and Link certainly _felt_ stronger.

"He looks pretty ill too," Link argued as he and his grandfather reached the end of the dining room with the body and began to climb the stairs. "He wouldn't be able to damage us if he tried."

Smith shook his head. "I don't know about sorcerers. Even if their bodies are weak, they can still wield a lot of strong magic force."

"Come to think of it," Link mused. They were almost there by now. "I wonder how come he's human again. The way it looked, he'd come here to tell me something. Gee, I hope nothing happened to the picori."

"What?" Smith raised a white, bushy eyebrow. "The picori?"

"Oh…yeah…I never told you about that." With one final lift, the grandfather-and-son duo lifted the body and gently placed it on Link's bed. "Vaati is a picori, you know."

Smith's gray eyes nearly popped out of his old head. "What?! This…this thing is…a _picori_?! How…how did it get here?"

Link shrugged. "Magic, I guess. Last time, he went through the gateway on the 100th anniversary."

Smith blinked again, staring at Vaati's body. "…To think a measly little picori would cause so much trouble…"

Link smiled. "Don't underestimate the picori." He picked up the bedcovers and carefully tucked them around Vaati's body. "I hope he wakes up soon," he mused, under his grandfather's disapproving eye. "He risked his life to come tell me whatever it was he had to tell me. Probably thinks I can't see the picori anymore."

And with those words, Link jinxed the situation. Vaati didn't wake up, not even the next morning, and into the afternoon. Link was already worried because he'd missed three meals while he was unconscious, and he didn't look like he could stand to miss any more.

"We need to get him to a doctor," Link gravely thought that afternoon. "Anyone staying unconscious this long is unhealthy. Maybe he's in a coma!"

However, later that evening, Smith came down to the workroom, where Link was finishing up yesterday's sword, to bring him good news. "That…that _thing_ just woke up," he announced. "Devil-red eyes and all. Though he didn't seem capable of answering me."

Immediately, Link dropped the forging tools and clambered up the dining room staircase with Smith not too far behind. Sure enough, a pair of bright red eyes blazed out at him from among the whiteness of the covers and the skin (which matched perfectly).

Link smiled and knelt next to what used to be his bed. "Well, hello Vaati! You finally woke up!"

Vaati only blinked at him, probably wondering what happened and how he got here.

"It's Link," Link introduced himself. "Remember me? You're at my house. You showed up here the other night."

Vaati just blinked again, but this time his head came down a little as well, in a nod.

"Be careful, Link," Smith warned from the sidelines. "Don't do anything rash. You never know what that devil could be up to." He seemed to think every little gesture the sorcerer made could be a new curse.

"Grandpa, I already told you, he's not dangerous anymore," Link protested. "He's not going to hurt me, even if he can work magic in this state…"

"Have you completely forgotten what this…this _demon_ did to our world?!" Smith was finally fed up and burst out in a fit of protest. "He nearly took over all of Hyrule! Link, he would've had us all killed! He temporarily killed the princess and the king as well. How can you just accept him into our house and treat him as if nothing has happened?!"

During the course of this outburst, Vaati had shrunk away from Link, burying his face against the pillow and tucking it under the covers as much as he could.

"Grandpa!" Link turned to snap at his surrogate father, a note of disappointment in his voice. "Look! You're upsetting him!"

"Do I look like I care?!" Smith retorted. "He's upset me—and _you_ as well—far worse than that."

Link sighed and waved a hand away. "Grandpa, please just leave the room for now. Don't worry about me. I can defend myself, remember?"

Smith gave a disgruntled frown, but slowly began to descend the stairs at his grandson's wish. That boy was growing up too fast…

"…Vaati?" Link turned back towards the pasty sorcerer in his bed, once he was positive Smith was out of the room. "Vaati, I'm sorry. My grandfather's really a nice guy under normal circumstances. He's just very…set in his ways. He's been making swords here for forty years and…"

Link's voice faded away when he noticed the soft gasping noise coming from his bed. "A-Are you okay, Vaati?" Gently, Link reached out to pull the covers away from his face, and his concerned expression deepened.

Vaati cringed and closed his eyes, but he couldn't hide the wispy, transparent teardrops that streaked down his pallid cheeks.

"Oh…" Link slowly bent his fingers around his face to hold it gently and mop up some of the tears. "Don't cry. He'll get over it eventually. I know _I_ certainly don't think that way."

Vaati opened watery red eyes to him again and slowly began to relax.

"So…" Link deliberately tried to move on from the subject as he pulled away. "How are you feeling? Better, I hope. You looked terrible when you arrived here."

Vaati still fixated an interested gaze on him, but didn't make a reply.

"Can you speak? You can just shake your head if you can't."

His head didn't move. So apparently, he could still speak. Why wouldn't he say something?

"What's wrong with you, anyway?" Link wondered aloud. "Did you get attacked or catch a disease or…"

Then, he noticed Vaati attempting to bury his head again and realized what he had just said. "No! No, that's not what I meant!" Link hurried to the young sorcerer's side to comfort him before his tears started again. "If you don't want to talk, that's fine. I just want to know what happened to you. You really don't look well, Vaati."

Vaati again didn't answer, but peeked out of the covers again with a hurt expression on his face.

"I'm sorry…you probably don't want to talk about it."

As usual, there was just silent staring in reply.

"Well…I ought to get back to work now," Link casually stated. "I've got to help finish an order." He got back to his feet and walked lightly to the door. Vaati's one visible red eye followed him every step of the way.

"Get some rest." Link turned around and gave him an encouraging smile. "And I'd love it if you'd start talking to me. I'm truly worried about you, you know." And with that, he stepped back down the stairs, leaving Vaati to ponder over the fact.

(-)

Later that night, Link came back to place a plateful of supper on the adjacent night stand for Vaati. However, when he came back a few hours later, the food hadn't been touched. Link frowned at the cold cucco meat and vegetables. "Vaati, you've got to eat. Otherwise, you'll never get stronger. You're too thin as it is; starve any more and you'll starve yourself to death!"

As usual, there was no reply. Vaati was facing away from him as well and didn't even turn around when he spoke.

Link sighed and picked up the plate to whisk it back downstairs. "Well, suit yourself for now, but I'm going to have to force you to eat _something_ soon."

Silence again answered him.

Link had begun to make up responses in his head of what Vaati might have said at the moment, and the one he came up with now was, "Just leave me alone! I don't care if I starve to death!"

(-)

It certainly seemed that way. Over the course of the next day, Vaati remained defiantly silent, as much as Link came up to talk to him or tried to trick and frustrate him into saying "No!" He would just frown and shake his head if he felt that strongly about it. He watched him refuse all three meals, and to accommodate, he slept most of the day.

Smith, of course, was going nuts. "He's hiding something," he decided. "That's why he won't speak to you. He probably did something terrible and got into a battle. That's why he's so worn out."

"You can't just make assumptions like that, Grandpa," Link scolded him, but by now, even he was starting to get suspicious. If he hadn't done anything wrong, why wouldn't he speak to him? Why wouldn't he trust him? Did he think the food might be poisoned, and that's why he wouldn't eat? His silence disturbed him and might have created these false suppositions.

Sometimes, when Link knelt next to the bed, casually trying to make conversation, he would look straight into Vaati's face. He could see wheels and cogs turning and spinning behind those red eyes, but he had no way of knowing just what they were producing. In his own whirling mind, he imagined that Vaati was planning something. He was waiting…formulating some kind of plot. It both frightened and fascinated him.

That night as Vaati slept and Smith once again suggested tossing him out, Link peeked in and tried to figure out this mysterious underlying plan of his. But how could he? What could a scrawny, injured picori-human _do_ in this state? Unfortunately, he was about to find out.

(-)

That morning started out very much like the previous one. While Smith hammered away downstairs, peaceful slants of light peeked through the left window, flooding the room with a hopeful glow. Link ascended the staircase to see the haunting, ghost-white, bony face of Vaati staring back at him from what used to be his bed. Now, he resented having given it up.

"Good morning, Vaati!" he tried to be cheerful and casual. He placed a tray on the adjacent table which contained sliced bread with a dish of butter to spread on it. "My grandpa just picked up a few fresh loaves of bread from the bakery, so we thought we'd share it with you…not that you'd eat it…" Link sighed. "The food's not poisoned, I swear. We're not looking to get rid of you." _Actually, Grandpa had been talking about it just last night_, Link admitted to himself. _But he doesn't need to know that_.

Vaati lifted his head and, to Link's amazement, pulled himself up into a sitting posture. Then he just stared, the cogs turning in his mind again.

"Well…I guess I'll be going. Got another order of swords to fill. See you later…" As Link turned away and began to head back to the doorway, a slow movement caught his eye. In his peripheral vision, he saw an amazing sight. Vaati was moving sideways…he was reaching out for the plate of bread. A smile broke out on Link's face and he whirled around to face him.

Immediately, Vaati withdrew his hand like a child caught reaching for the forbidden cookie jar.

"No, no, go ahead, help yourself!" Link cried in delight. "You never saw me!" And with that, he disappeared down the staircase again. Some people, he knew, didn't like to eat while other people were around, and maybe Vaati was one of them. A smile beamed on his face as he tossed his own bread crusts into the trash and stepped into the forge. Just maybe, if Vaati was willing to eat, he'd be willing to talk to him later! Things were certainly looking up.

(-)

The afternoon was cold and silent. Link took a deep breath and threw his body onto the nearest dining room chair. The cold was welcome to him, since he'd been toiling all day in the hot forge with his grandfather. Still, he wasn't strong enough to take on a full day of work. He wondered if he ever would be. Link leaned back in his wooden chair and listened to the soothing clanging noise of his grandfather at work. The first sword should be done soon… It was time for a bit of a break.

His eyes wandered towards the staircase in front of him. He should probably go check on Vaati. Maybe he'd actually talk to him now! However, just as Link rose from the chair, he noticed something odd about the image from the top of it. It looked unusual. Something large and red was blocking his full view of the bed. Link leaped forward with new alarmed energy. What _was_ that? Did Vaati do something? Had something happened?

Link flew up the staircase. The closer and closer he got, the wider his blue eyes became. Finally, he reached the top of the stairs, and they were ready to pop out of his head.

Link's whole body froze in terror. He couldn't breathe. He had to do something! But what was he supposed to do?! This wasn't something that could be solved with courage and a sword. Finally, he found his breath again and used all of it that he could to scream down the stairs, over the metallic clang of the forge. "GRANDPA!!!"

(-)

The middle-aged man rolled his eyes and sighed. "I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. I get my own son thrown in jail by this guy, and then I'm called upon to save his sorry life. Kid, why'd you stab him if you didn't want him to die?!"

"I _didn't_ stab him!" Link yelled, appalled at the doctor's behavior. "He stabbed _himself_! He tried to commit suicide!"

The doctor winked. "Sure he did. Don't worry about it, I won't tell a soul."

Link was about to protest again, but didn't think it was worth it. He sighed and lowered his head to look down at his visitor. In truth, it was lucky that the doctor lived nearby. Their time had been crucial.

Right now, Vaati was still unconscious, but breathing steadily. If it was possible, his face looked even paler, and a tube attached to his wrist pumped the life back into him. His blue robe was gone, replaced by a tight, stained bandage and stitches. Without a shirt, he looked even skinnier than before. Poor Vaati…he really was very sick.

The doctor tucked the covers back around him, seemingly unaffected by his unhealthy appearance. "He's lost a lot of blood, but he'll recover. It was hard to find his blood type too…rare one. Dang albinos, always having to be so different. You know, I once operated on a Goron and…"

The glares on Link and Smith's faces told him to move on.

"Er…well. He should get plenty of rest, which'll be no problem, but also make sure he stays covered. He'll die if he catches a cold in this state. And for the Goddesses sake, make sure he eats. I could examine his entire ribcage without an X-Ray machine."

Link nodded, though that last bit of advice would be hard to follow.

It turned out that Vaati hadn't been reaching for the bread—he'd been reaching for the bread knife sticking out of the butter. The next time Link saw it, it'd been sticking out of his chest. Thankfully, as the doctor had discovered, he'd missed punctuating any organs, but he'd still done himself a terrible amount of damage.

_Why_? Link still wondered. Why had he suddenly just decided to kill himself? Was _this _what he'd been planning all this time? His own death? Confusion wracked Link's brain. _Why_? He'd always thought Vaati, of all people, thought very highly of himself. Too highly, in fact. Why the suicide attempt? Somehow, he thought there was something he was forgetting.

The doctor was paid and left.

Smith heaved a big sigh. "I knew it. This thing would cause us nothing but trouble. He's been refusing our help, not letting us know anything, and now trying to kill himself."

"Maybe there's a reason!" Link protested. "People don't just decide to commit suicide for the heck of it. We've got to help him."

"Whatever you say," Smith decided with a shrug. "Just don't get too carried away with this, Link. I still say he's dangerous. He might be angry when he wakes up."

But looking down at the limp, sickly, pathetic body, Link wondered how anyone could say a thing like that.

(-)

For the next two days, Link kept a vigil at Vaati's bedside. He wanted to make sure he was there the moment he woke up so he wouldn't try to kill himself again. Smith delivered him his meals, and each time, tried to convince him to come down. No such luck. Link stayed right by Vaati's side, making sure he was covered, replacing his blood bag (the doctor had left a few for this purpose), and sometimes just staring or brushing his disarrayed lavender hair.

"Why do you always have to be so mysterious?" he asked the unconscious sorcerer one day. "Why can't you ever let anyone know what's on your mind until it's too late? I probably could have helped you…" He talked to him like this all the time. He was used to it, after all.

Again, he thought he was forgetting something. Something important he'd learned early on. He'd be kicking himself later for having forgotten it.

(-)

It was the third morning. Link stretched and rolled out of Smith's bed. The first thing he did was check on Vaati, who was still coldly unconscious. Of course. He hadn't seen any change in his condition at all. If anything, he might be getting worse, with all the meals he'd missed. If he couldn't get some food into him soon, he really would starve to death. Maybe that had been his other plan. His backup suicide plan, in case this didn't work. Link shivered at the thought of it. To think that all this time, he'd been carefully plotting out his own death…

After a few minutes, Smith came up with his breakfast and set it up on the corner table. It wasn't until after he had finished and was sitting on the stool next to his bed when it happened.

Vaati's body twitched and stirred a little. Link didn't think anything of it because he'd done this several times while still unconscious. The first time, he'd been tricked into thinking he was waking up, but not this time.

His white eyelids twitched…and slowly, gently lifted.

Link was in shock for a moment. He'd been planning what he should say to Vaati when he finally woke up, but the moment he did, his mind went completely blank. What do you say to someone who's just tried to kill himself? Link stared into those blood-red eyes and finally opened his mouth to begin. He was interrupted by a soft, unusual noise, like the faraway chirp of a new bird.

"L…Lih…Link?"

Link's eyes widened. His heart beat a little faster in wonderment and fear. "_V-Vaati_?!"

He'd…he'd just spoken. For the first time since he'd arrived here.

Gingerly, Vaati sat himself up in the bed, but had to lean back against the board because he was too weak to remain in that position. Link quickly propped the pillows up to support him. There was another cold silence as Vaati felt his bandages, winced when he pressed in on them, and studied the tube attached to his wrist.

Link again tried to find something to say, but his voice was failing him.

Finally, Vaati spoke, for sure this time. "You…you saved me," he stated, in his soft, whispery voice. "Why…? Why do you always save me?"

"I…I don't want you to die," Link gently tried to explain. "I don't want anyone to die."

"I should have died," Vaati continued. His weak voice was fading away again…shaking, trembling. "You should have killed me. That's how it's supposed to be. The hero kills the monster and frees the townspeople from oppression. He has to kill it, or else the townspeople will never be free. He doesn't like killing, but he _has_ to do it…"

"It's not the same thing," Link protested. "You're not a monster."

Vaati's head tipped down, frazzled lavender strands falling into his face. "You…You didn't _see_ that?!" His voice was a little louder this time and quavering even worse. "I…I could have killed you all. I could have destroyed the world. I'm a monster!"

Link moved forward, eager to help him, as Vaati's face fell into his hands. There was no sniffling or sobbing, but he could tell he was crying again. Vaati was always very quiet when he cried. Slowly, gently, Link moved forward and wrapped his arms around him. His body felt much smaller against him, even though they were about the same size.

"Shhh…" he whispered, comfortingly holding Vaati to his shoulder. "See? See, Vaati? You're not a monster. Monsters don't feel bad for what they've done. Monsters don't try to destroy themselves. Monsters don't cry. That wasn't you, and I could see it. That wasn't really you. This isn't really you either. Why are you a human again?"

Link was hoping to divert the conversation to a more casual one, but what he said only seemed to upset Vaati more. He pulled away from Link's embrace and gripped his bare, bony arms as he sobbed.

"I-I'm sorry…" his tiny voice choked on the tears. "Th-this was…all a mistake. Th-that was so…rude and…inconsiderate of me…just barging into your house and bleeding all over your nice, clean sheets…I've just ruined everything. Oh, what've I done now?!"

"Really, it's okay!" Link cried. "If you hadn't come here, you would've died out in the woods! I'm really _glad_ you're here and that you're safe…"

Vaati couldn't reply. He just kept shaking his head and whispering, "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

Link couldn't help but pull him into a hug again. He couldn't believe it…he would never have guessed. Vaati was still so wracked with guilt. He couldn't live with it anymore. Poor Vaati…he hated himself, wished he had died… He rocked him back and forth as his soft, quavering little voice continued to repeat, "I'm sorry…"

It was a long time before Vaati finally ran out of tears and Link released him from his protective arms. "There," Link said, smiling lightly. "Better now?"

Vaati sniffed a little and brushed one last tear from his eye.

"So…how did you get to be human again?" Link tried repeating. "When I first saw you, I figured you'd come here to tell me something important."

Vaati nodded. "It was. I did. Ezlo and I've been working on a way to open entrances to and from our world without it having to be the hundredth anniversary. I was testing it out. Guess it works okay, but it scratched me up a bit. I came here to see you. I wanted to make sure you knew that…that I am eternally sorry."

Without the shaking cover of tears, Link noticed that Vaati's voice sounded a bit different. It had an unusual, squeaky accent to it. It was kind of cute, actually. "Eternally sorry" had become "eet-in-illy solli." He was speaking Hylian fluently…but with a Picori accent. Come to think of it, besides being thinner and sicklier, he looked different too. Younger. More innocent. Maybe this was his "true" human form.

"Why?" Link insisted on knowing. "You already know I forgave you. Princess Zelda and I granted you forgiveness."

Vaati sighed and looked down, as if he might start crying again. "I know…but I keep seeing these things…Ezlo calls them 'attacks'. I see things like…like myself as a monster, hurting everybody, or you…yelling at me and trying to kill me. It's not your fault; I'm not saying anything like that, but…it just really scares me. Sometimes I almost have a heart attack or run out into some dangerous situation. I hate it. You might have forgiven me, but the rest of the world didn't. No one is able to look at me in public. I get hate mail delivered every day. Death threats too. I can't even answer the door anymore. Everyone is either terrified of me or wants to kill me. I just…my life just has no purpose now. I wanted to be a great sorcerer like Ezlo and do great things for all the world…but how can I do that when no one can ever trust me again? I'm just making life worse for them…having to live in fear of me. Ezlo is always having to save me, beat the angry mobs away, and help me recover after my attacks. I'm just a burden on him. I'm just a burden on you too, having to take me in, and me ruining your bed… Don't you see now why I should die?!"

Link reached forward to catch Vaati as he fell back into his arms again, flood of tears and anguish renewed. During this whole speech, he'd been getting more and more upset, until his heart couldn't take it anymore.

Then, as Link murmured comforting nonsense and rubbed his bony back, he remembered. He remembered his own grandfather's outburst at the thought of helping him, and Vaati's tearful reaction. He remembered the doctor's attitude towards him as well. In fact, if they hadn't been paying him to do it, he probably would have just let Vaati die. Thinking about their angry reactions and the poor picori boy sobbing in his arms almost made him want to cry too.

Gently, Link reached up to hold his head cupped in his hand and run fingers through the soft purple hair. "I can understand now… It's not fair, I know it. It'll be okay, Vaati. See, I don't hate you. I don't see you as a burden. And Ezlo loves you; he would just do anything for you. He wanted to take the blame upon himself. I know it's incredibly hard, and it seems like everything would be better if only you were dead, but that's a horrible thing to say. I know it's hurting you…but please, Vaati, you've got to keep living. Just think of Ezlo, and how upset he'd be if you died. He's like your father. Even I would be upset if you died, especially now, after I know how you feel. Eventually, things will quiet down. Things will get better; I just know it. Please…don't destroy yourself like this."

Link almost did start crying as he cradled the sobbing boy in his arms. Vaati kept so much pain locked up in his heart, and now it was all flooding out at once. Those people had done this to him. Those same people he had saved had injured this poor soul. As Link clutched him tightly in his embrace, he promised to never let anyone hurt him like this again.

Once again, it took a very long time for Vaati to calm down and pull away. "I'm sorry," he said again, apologizing for being such a pathetic crybaby.

"No," Link insisted. "I'm sorry. For all that you've been through. I had no idea…" A mutual silence passed between them for a moment.

Finally, Vaati just sank back into the bed again and Link scooted back over to his stool. "Oh…" he said, uttering a sad sigh. "…I'm exhausted."

Link smiled. "Crying can do that to you. But it's good to get it all out." He stood up to tuck the covers back around him and fix the pillows. "Rest. You need to get better. Can I count on you to sleep while I go down to tell my grandpa the good news?"

Vaati nodded and slowly, hesitantly offered him a quick little smile in return. "Don't worry. I think I'll be okay now."

Link couldn't help but beam back and give him another quick pat on the head. "I'm so happy! So then, I'll see you in a few more hours. Sweet dreams!"

And finally, Link left the room with a smile on his face and satisfyingly watched as Vaati closed his eyes again and shifted over onto his side. At last, things were starting to make sense, and the world was starting to get back to normal.

(-)

As expected, Smith wasn't as thrilled as Link about Vaati's re-awakening, and for a moment, Link was tempted to yell at him for those comments. But he was still too delighted at having a new friend to talk to.

Link visited Vaati frequently, and the two of them chatted like old buds. Link told Vaati about how he had entered the sword-fighting tournament last year. He hadn't won, or even come close, but he said it was still a fabulous time. "Maybe you can teach me how to improve my sword-fighting!" he excitedly suggested.

Vaati hung his head again. "I'm sorry. I really…don't know anything about sword-fighting. At all."

Link nodded. "No. I understand. Hey, maybe when you get better, _I _can teach _you_!"

Vaati was, at last, getting better. Link removed the last blood packet that night, and carefully extracted the tube from his arm. He delivered breakfast the next morning, and when he came back, was relieved and thrilled to find an empty plate and a full Vaati. Steadily, he was growing stronger and healthier, and the next day, he even tried getting out of bed and walking around. Link had to help support him after a little while, though.

On a whole, everything seemed to be getting better, and just when Link thought it would be safe to try brining him downstairs for a bit, it happened. He'd almost forgotten this little detail of his sorrowful speech…in fact, he _had _forgotten until he saw the condition in action. And it was quite a frightening experience.

One day, Link was just in another, normal conversation with Vaati. This time, they were discussing school. Link was on temporary "save-the-world" leave, and he'd been forced to go back and catch up last year, which hadn't been very fun at all. Vaati had only been to picori school for one year, and had such a terrible time that Ezlo immediately pulled him out of it and obtained permission to home-school him. Then, something very unusual happened.

Link looked up towards Vaati's face as he was telling him a story about the trouble he'd caused the teachers…and he was just staring at him. That stare frightened him. Vaati was looking in his direction, but he was looking straight through him…he didn't even blink. The rest of his body looked frozen in place as well. It was as if he'd entered some kind of trance…or turned _himself_ to stone.

"…Vaati?" Link asked. "Uh, Vaati? Can you hear me?" He tried waving his hand in front of his face.

There was no response.

Link lapsed into a grave, concentrating frown. He was going to try grabbing his hand next, but wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Sometimes, if a person was in a trance, if you touched them, you could hurt them. Link just sat forward and returned to hopelessly calling his name. "Vaati! …Vaati?"

He had suddenly realized how little Vaati was breathing. A sick grayish color was creeping across his face, replacing the usual light purple reflection of his hair.

"Vaati?!" Link questioned again. "Vaati, breathe! You're going to pass out!" He wanted desperately to touch him now, hit his back, shake him by the shoulders, anything. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to worry much longer about his breathing, because just then, he started speaking.

"No…"

At first, Link thought that he had finally heard him and was refusing to breathe, which would've been ironic because he had to breathe to say that.

"No, I…I never meant that! I…I actually really admire you!"

Link looked confusedly into Vaati's blank face. It actually looked a little worried now, but he still couldn't see him. "Vaati!" Link called, louder this time. "Can you hear me?! I'm right here!"

Vaati did respond, but not in the correct terms. "B-but everything's fine now! Both of you are fine! I…I n-never meant to kill anybody!"

"Everything _is_ fine!" Link called back. "You didn't kill anyone! You're here, safe in my house! I'm Link!"

And that's when Vaati's body fell forward and crashed to the floor.

"Oh my Goddesses!" Link cried, jumping off his stool and kneeling down to his level. "Are you okay?!" He figured that _had _to have broken him out of his trance. A fall like that could wake anyone up. But he was wrong.

With fast, panicked breathing, Vaati scrambled to his knees and pressed himself hard against the side of the bed. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he yelled, loud enough for Smith to hear down the stairs.

"Vaati! Vaati, it's okay!" Link yelled back. "You're okay! You're in Link's house, remember?! Link's house!"

"AAAAAAUGH!!!" Vaati let loose a piercing, bloodcurdling scream, turning his head away from Link and pinching his eyes closed. He pressed so hard against the bed it began to scrape the floor.

In a panic, Link lunged forward, seizing his bony shoulders and trying to pull him back up. "_Vaati_! _Snap out of it_! You're in Link's house—Link's house! You're okay; everything's okay! Look at me!"

He reached up to take Vaati's face in his hand, but as soon as he did, it snapped back around to face him. He blinked. His body gave a start, and a small cry escaped his lips, but slowly, he was beginning to calm down. His eyes had lost their cold, stony gaze and they busily scanned Link's face as they blinked. "L-Link?" his small voice finally asked. "Link…"

"Vaati!" Link exclaimed, breaking into a light smile of relief. He still held his shoulders tightly and stared into his face. "Are you okay?!"

Vaati blinked, and his face settled into a familiar depressed expression. "Link, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

Link moved his hands down to tuck them over Vaati's back and pull him into another hug. He could feel the furious thumping of his heart against his bony ribs. If he hadn't stopped him then, he could've had a heart attack.

And there they were, hugging, with Vaati sobbing into the sleeve of Link's tunic, when Smith finally arrived on the scene. "Everything okay up here?!" he asked. "I heard screaming and yelling. You're okay, right, Link?"

Link nodded and lifted Vaati a little in his arms. "He had a bit of an accident, but everything's okay now. You can go back downstairs, grandpa."

After Smith had left, Vaati lifted his head and gently pulled away from Link. He sniffed and brushed his hair back to wipe his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said again. "That must have really scared you. I'm okay now, though."

Link stood up and helped Vaati to his feet. They both sat back down, Link on his stool, Vaati on the edge of the bed. "What _was_ that?" Link obliviously asked. He was still holding on to Vaati's wrists, afraid that if he let go, the horrible scene would start all over again. "It was like you were in a trance. You couldn't even see or hear me!"

Vaati nodded and turned his head down in shame. "You're right. I couldn't. All I saw was…something bad. Something trying to hurt me. That's what happens every now and then. That was one of those 'attacks' that I told you about before. I never know when it's going to happen. Ezlo has found that he can still communicate with me when it's just starting, but he hadn't been able to stop it from happening. My sight is the first thing to go."

Link's face wrinkled in concern. "How long has this been going on?"

"Ever since you defeated me."

Link's eyes widened. "Oh my Goddesses! It's been a year since then! You've been having these attacks all year?! I'm surprised you haven't died of a heart attack!"

"Usually, if there's no one around to snap me out of it, like you just did, I faint. It's not a big deal, though. I usually wake up within the next hour. But I have had to go to the town hospital a lot…they're not too happy about it."

Link couldn't help but just stare at him in disbelief.

Abruptly, Vaati stood up, pushing Link's hands off his wrists. "It's okay; I'll be leaving tomorrow. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused."

Link looked confusedly up at him. "Why are you leaving?"

Vaati frowned. "It'll be awkward being around me. Now that you've witnessed my attacks, you'll never be able to feel comfortable around me again. I don't want to stay if it's going to make you uncomfortable."

Link smiled a little and shook his head, sadly. "Oh Vaati, don't you get it yet? I want you here. I know you're not evil, and I know you're not insane. Besides, we're friends now, right? I want to protect you. These attacks are just another thing I can protect you from."

Vaati looked down at him as if he had no head…or had grown a second one. "But…but didn't that scare you?"

"Of course it scared me," Link explained. "But it only scared me because I was so worried about you. You could've had a heart attack if I hadn't been there to bring you out of it. You even told me yourself—you would've fainted! Now, I'm not going to let you out of my sight!"

"B-b-but…" Vaati argued. "You don't have to…"

"Of course I don't have to," Link reiterated. "I want to. Now, why don't you lie down? Take a rest. That must've taken a lot out of you."

Slowly, Vaati moved back towards the bed and sat back on the edge. "Yeah…I am kind of tired now…"

Link smiled warmly and moved forward to tuck the covers over him as he lied down. "There," he satisfactorily stated. "You're getting much better, Vaati. I'm proud of you. Maybe someday soon, you can even get rid of those attacks. But until then, I'll care for you and protect you. So, just relax and concentrate on getting better, okay?"

Vaati finally nodded against the pillow and closed his eyes. Link gave him a little pet on the head, then turned back around.

"Link…just one thing. Could you open that window for me?"

"Sure!" Link happily skipped back over to the window and slid it open. Wow, Vaati was getting assertive now, even asking for things he wanted! This was probably another sign of recovery.

"I like to feel the wind on my face," Vaati explained. "It helps me relax."

"Well, you should've told me that earlier!" Link exclaimed. "That could've helped us out just now!"

Vaati gave him a small smile back, and Link was filled with joy. His smiles were so rare, but so beautiful when they appeared. "Thank you," he softly said. "Thank you for everything."

"No problem!" Link eagerly replied. "And if you need anything else, please give me a call! I'll be right downstairs!" Link was all smiles when he descended the stairs afterwards. Soon, Vaati might be able to come downstairs, eat meals with them, and even go outside on the front lawn. And just about a week ago, he'd been starving and very nearly died. Vaati was, of course, still terribly thin and bit sickly, but he looked more like a human being now than a living skeleton.

In all, Link was feeling pretty good about the whole situation. So needless to say, he was not pleased to see at the bottom of the stairs, a very worried and annoyed Grandfather Smith.

(-)

"You just don't understand! You can't see past your own world where everything is cut-and-dry. Good or evil. Guilty or innocent. You can't see that Vaati just isn't the sort of person to harm anyone. Sure, he hurt people; he hurt a lot of people, but in the end it all turned out okay. He didn't kill anyone…"

"Yeah…but being turned to stone is almost as good as being killed."

"Yes, but the princess was brought back. And the king, and the minister, and everyone else in the castle too. He was sorry in the end. He didn't really want all of that to happen. He's still sorry now. He has nightmares about it happening again…"

"I don't care. He's a criminal. Public enemy number one. And he should be punished."

"He _is_ being punished—by people like you, saying things like that! Almost everyone thinks the exact same way you do. He's had to endure all of these insults and degrading comments. No one in his own world can even look at him anymore. Don't you see?! That's why he tried to kill himself! He feels worthless and like a hindrance to everyone else in Hyrule. Vaati has feelings too, you know, and you're hurting them. You saw when you came up before. During our meetings, all he's been doing is crying and telling me that he's sorry. Please, grandpa…have a heart."

Poor Vaati had no idea why he'd been made to witness this argument. He stood awkwardly in the doorway to the dining room, trying not to look at either Link or Smith as they argued back and forth about him. Part of him just wanted to be punished and get it over with, but as Link had told him earlier, "he should be punished" meant "he should be dead" or at least "he should be in a prison instead of in this house." Vaati had offered to move out again several times, but Link wasn't having any of it.

"You're not going anywhere until you're all better," he'd firmly stated. "Until you can come down, eat at the table with us, and work in the forge. Until you can run circles and turn cartwheels in the bright outside sun."

Vaat had just laughed. "I can't turn a cartwheel, though. Even when I'm perfectly healthy."

Link had smiled back. "Well, you can try."

Slowly, as he listened to the tennis match of opinions on him, he began to slip away from his post holding up the door casing. Maybe now the second floor would collapse down on them.

Slowly, carefully, Vaati made his way to the opposite doorway—the one leading into the forge. Ironically, for someone arguing about how dangerous and untrustworthy he was, Smith didn't even notice. Vaati peered into the room. It was a bit warm inside, as if it were burning now, but not in current use. How neglectful of him. Vaati took one last glance over his shoulder at the progress of the argument before slipping inside. He should be safe. It wasn't going anywhere.

"You want the whole big long story? I'll give you the whole big long story. You see, Vaati is a picori boy apprenticed to Ezlo who was that living "new fashion" you commented on my having…"

"I don't give a flying rat's butt. The long and short of it is that he eventually gets big somehow, comes into our world, accidentally-on-purpose fills it with monsters again, turns the princess to stone, and then tries to take over Hyrule, if not the whole world, and turn it into a shadowy, floaty purple-land."

"You're still missing the point! Vaati was just feeling useless to begin with. He wanted to be strong and impressive. He wanted to make his master proud of him…he was following our own human examples. After he gained all that power, he couldn't control it, and he realized that this had never been what he'd really wanted. He was crying then, too… It took a while for me to get him to stop… All I want is for Vaati to be able to come down here to eat breakfast at the table. You don't have to like him; I'm not asking you to be friends…just to be tolerable…"

"Hey…" Smith suddenly cut his grandson off, looking past him. "Where _is_ that slippery little shadow anyway?"

Link turned around to find the doorway behind him empty. "Vaati?!"

They both turned around and noticed the blue-and-purple figure crouched in front of the forge. Both of them immediately went ballistic.

"He's in my forge!" Smith hollered, breaking into an alarmed sprint. "You get away from there! He's going to make it blow up!"

"Vaati!" Link yelped, running after his grandfather. "Don't touch that! You're going to hurt yourself!"

But before any of them could do anything, Vaati simply stood up, closing the fire hatch firmly. The room fell silent, except for the distant fire roaring. "Trouble with the coal feeder," Vaati stated, looking at the floor. "I fixed it."

Another wave of awkward, tense silence passed through the long side room. Link opened his mouth to say something, but Smith beat him to it.

"You fixed it?" he repeated. "In what sense did you 'fix it'?"

Vaati stared intently into the floorboards, avoiding both their gazes.

"…Vaati?" Link finally asked, trying to overlap his grandfather's question. "Why did you…?"

"It…it was a favor…" the boy finally mumbled. He completely hid himself in the puffy, purple bang of his hair. "I…I wanted to show my gratitude. For letting me stay here."

And with that, he finally began to move. He turned and began to head for the entrance. Smith leaped out of the way, as if he was holding some kind of hot coal on a poker in front of him. Vaati just continued straight out, straight to the other doorway, and straight back up the stairs to his room. Another terrible, noisy silence roared back to Link and Smith's ears. They turned and looked at each other.

"I better go follow him," Link finally spoke up, moving an inch towards the threshold.

"He better not have sabotaged my forge," Smith grumbled, turning back towards the corner. "Link, you stay here, in case this blows up."

Link rolled his eyes, but came to his grandfather's side. "It's not going to blow up. If he said he fixed it, then…" He closed his mouth, because Smith didn't really need the words now.

He pressed a lever and moved the sword on top of the iron a bit. Then he waited a few minutes. Tried it again. Banged on the sword a little. Tried it again. His little grey eyes widened amidst the whiteness of his eyebrows and mustache. "Well whaddaya know…" he slowly began to whisper. "…He really _did_ fix it…"

(-)

Then, the next day, Link once again grabbed Vaati by the wrist and led him down the stairs to the dining room. He had come prepared with a set of arguments designed to effectively convince his grandfather of Vaati's innocence, the repairing of the forge heading the list. But none of it was necessary.

When they arrived downstairs, Link was shocked—and overjoyed—to see three places set at the table, three plates of waffles and syrup, and three glasses of juice.

The old man entered from the adjacent room and smiled at their presence. "I was wondering when you would come down," he said. "I made these waffles specially for the occasion."

"Ah…" Link was incapable of speech. He finished descending the steps and stood in the warm, aromatic room, yet he didn't let go of Vaati's wrist, hiding the silent boy behind him. "Um…grandpa…?"

Smith smiled, mysteriously. "Take a seat, you two," he offered, plopping into his own chair. "Don't just stand there in the doorway all day gawking."

Slowly, Link and Vaati walked over to seats and sat in them. Link was just amazed that he'd said "you two". He's actually acknowledged Vaati, and not to make some awful comment about him. "G-Grandpa…" he tried to say again. "I…I'm so grateful… Wh-Why…?"

"Yesterday, I realized what a jerk I've been. It wasn't fair to you, Vaati…"

Vaati shrank into his seat when the old man's gaze turned to him.

"I wanted to thank you for repairing my forge."

"Oh, you don't have to," he timidly replied. "I was just doing you a return service."

"And return services are what you'll do. I got the perfect idea. You'll make up for your previous evil acts by helping me around the house. Compensation…forgiveness. You're a sorcerer and I'm a tired old homeowner. So I've got to help you keep your strength up. Eat your waffle, Vaati."

Vaati blinked, incredulously, but smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"But that's not fair," Link tried to argue. "You can't just force Vaati to work for you."

"Really, I don't mind!" Vaati burst out, interrupting him. "I _want_ to help out! It's the least I can do for all the hospitality you've given me. Thank you, sir. You're very kind."

Smith shook his head. "No need to call me 'sir' like that. You can just call me Smith. Now eat up—you're awfully thin."

Vaati smiled back over at him, but his smile vanished when he looked back down at the plate.

Link gritted his teeth, reached over with his fork, and shoved a piece of Vaati's waffle into his mouth. He wouldn't believe that his grandfather could sink so low, and thankfully, he was right.

And so, for the rest of the morning, the three sat around munching on waffles and discussing what needed fixing.

The next day, Vaati fixed a small leak in the roof. Next, he stopped the bathroom tub from flooding, and finally, he switched the soil outside the house and made a lovely garden grow around it. Link was always at his side in case he grew too weak from too much magical energy drain, but Vaati seemed to hold up pretty well. He was looking healthier too, from all the good meals he'd been getting at the table.

Soon, he and Smith began to not mind each other's company, and even to get along pretty good. They discussed their proceedings over breakfast and dinner, and sometimes they'd even ask each other questions, casually.

But then, one day, it happened again. At the breakfast table, no less. And this time in front of Smith, who'd never asked what Vaati's "little accident" had been.

As normal, that morning, Link, Vaati, and Smith were eating syrup pancakes downstairs in the dining room. They were currently discussing Link's own schooling and his extra lessons. Today, he had to go back to his class, and he was extremely thankful that he could now leave Vaati with Smith without endangering Vaati's life.

"I heard Swiftblade has some brothers," Smith was saying as he ate. "Maybe we could get him enrolled there. The class here is currently full."

Link shook his head, sadly. "That would be a long way to travel. I think the next-closest dojo is somewhere in the forest, and it's not nearly as good as Swiftblade's!"

"Well," Smith argued, gesturing towards Vaati. "He's a sorcerer, right? Distance shouldn't matter; he can just poof himself."

"I don't think he can anymore," Link hypothesized. "That was just a hat power, like all his fighting skills. _Can _you teleport anymore, Vaati?"

There was no answer.

"…Vaati?"

Vaati was looking out the window. He's stopped eating in the middle of his waffle to follow something just outside with his eyes. Now, even Smith was looking at him.

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

"Whatcha see out there?" Smith questioned, taking another bite of waffle.

"Um…" Vaati looked like he wanted to say something more, but something was stopping him. He twitched with some internal reflex. "U-Uh…" His eyes never left the spot out the window.

"Vaati…" Link turned towards him and looked into his eyes. They didn't look frozen and blank like they had before…but something led him to believe he was definitely having another attack. "Vaati!" he yelled. "Can you hear me?!"

"Shhhh…"

Well…at least it was a response. His eyes didn't turn to look at him, though, which was what worried him. He needed some kind of physical response. Link tried turning and looking in Vaati's line of vision. There was nothing out there, except the morning sunshine and the flowers he'd planted just days ago. "Vaati?" Link asked, softening his voice. "Do you really see something, or is it an attack?"

Nothing this time. Vaati's eyes were moving from his spot. He was looking _at _the window now instead of through it, and his eyes continued to follow the something up towards the ceiling.

"What's wrong with him?" Smith asked, slightly alarmed. "Should I call the doctor again?"

"I think it's an attack," Link told him. "Vaati's having hallucinations that are scaring him, and he can't break away from them. There's really nothing there; he just thinks there is." Link began to reach forward, towards Vaati's side of the table. "I broke him out of it last time by touching him, so…" But Link never had the chance to touch him just then.

The pure terror on Vaati's face was apparent. Even his reflected bluish tint drained from him and be began to turn grey, like before. The fork dropped out of his hand, hitting the plate with a loud clang. "_Aaaaaugh_!" he shrieked, pulling away from the table violently and going into a hysterical fit. His hands flew up to his eyes first, hiding them and holding them pressed into his head.

"Vaati!" Link cried, jumping out of his chair in alarm. Smith followed, standing up much more calmly, but still worried. He backed off towards the wall, not understanding what was happening.

"_Aaaaaaaaaaaugh_!!!" Vaati screamed again, hands flying to his throat. He squeezed his fingers around it as if to strangle himself. He looked similarly in pain and scared out of his wits. And he wouldn't stop screaming after that.

"Aaah! Aaaaugh! Aaaaaaaugh! Aaaah!"

Link jumped forward, ready to pry his fingers off his neck. What if he really _did_ strangle himself?

Vaati was crying too. Crying in mental/physical pain…no, agony. His hands loosened for a moment. They gently moved down to grip his upper arms. His whole body shuddered and shook as he took deep, gasping breaths.

Link took a step forward. That was it, he realized. It was finally coming to an end. Vaati was beginning to calm down now. "It's okay…" he began to say, moving closer. "You're okay now, Vaati…"

"AAAAAUGH!!!" he burst out again, louder and even more piercing than before. He fell to the ground on his knees, pressing his hands into the sides of his head, over his ears. His fingers wrapped around his head, and he pressed in so violently, it was as if he was trying to squash his head in…or keep it from exploding. He scratched desperately at his face and then down at his chest, trying to tear his heart out.

"_Vaati_!" Link screamed, falling to the floor beside him. "Vaati, Vaati, stop that! Please!" And with that, he grabbed his shoulders. He gripped them and squeezed them tight between his fingers.

The hands relaxed. Vaati's trembling hands slowly froze and then fell away from his chest. As his arms gently moved down, Link slid his hands down them and tightened reassuringly around his wrists. He stared intently into those wide, panicked eyes with a steady, solid gaze.

Vaati's one visible eye flickered across his face again, recognizing him, though his mouth was still partly open, as if he might scream again. Slowly, he closed it. His head turned down to get a good look at his hands. He flexed them a little, probably making sure they were real, then looked back up into Link's face. "Oh…" he finally began to say, voice wavering unsteadily. "It happened again, didn't it?"

All Link could do was pull him into a grateful hug. He just held his body tightly and tried to stop the trembling. "What was that?" he asked, after a moment. "I know it was an attack, but it seemed different from the other one."

Slowly, Smith was making his way towards them, and gently, he crouched next to them.

"I-It was," Vaati finally replied. "It was the second one. It's even worse than the one you saw before. I…I was re-experiencing the…the…the transformation."

Link gripped him tighter, reassuringly, since his shaking had been getting worse during that sentence. "You're okay now," he said, softly. "That's never going to happen again, and you know it. So don't worry about it."

"I…I can't…" Vaati shuddered again. I can't stop…seeing it. I'm a monster…I'm a monster…"

"Eventually it will go away," Link determinedly stated. "That's what I want to work with you on—getting rid of these attacks. I know you can do it; it's all just in your mind. And stop saying that you're a monster—you're not a monster. Please don't say that—it's awful. Shhhh…"

Vaati had been just about to start arguing the point with him, but he had quieted the protest. It was a few more minutes of silent hugging—the calm after the storm—before anyone moved again. Vaati slowly pulled away from Link's shoulder and sat with his head down for a minute, hair completely veiling his face.

Link was about to say something more, but instead, Smith took the initiative. He reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey…" His gruff voice was softened just a bit. "Are you okay, now?"

The boy shuddered a little at his touch, but turned back around with a smile on his face. "Yes. I'm going to be fine now. Thank you. I…I'm really, really sorry that had to happen. Really sorry… I can't control when that happens… I'm sorry I never warned you. I would imagine that really frightened and upset you."

Smith smiled. He held out a friendly hand and helped him back to his feet. "It's okay. I just worried if you were okay. I need to keep you healthy to continue to help out around here."

Vaati smiled back, as he and the others sat and settled back around the table. "It doesn't matter," he joked. "I would probably still do things for you, even if I was sick and about to collapse."

"Finish your breakfast," Smith implored, and everyone did just that.

Link savored the peace of the moment as he continued into his pancake, and thought this might be the beginning of a wonderful new family. Unfortunately, the peace wouldn't last for much longer.

(-)

It was two days after the "attack at the table" incident. Link and Vaati were coming down that morning for breakfast as normal, but stopped in their tracks when they reached the bottom of the staircase. Breakfast wasn't ready. Only Smith was at the table, examining a piece of paper that looked like a letter.

When he finally looked up, his face broke into a shocked realization. "Oh! Goodness, I apologize! I completely forgot to make breakfast this morning!"

"Relax," Vaati told him, as he and Link approached. "I'll make it."

Link stepped closer to his grandfather's side as Vaati closed his eyes and began to summon his magical powers. "What's that, grandpa?" He gestured to the piece of paper.

"This," Smith grimly announced. "Is a letter from the king. It was sent to you just this morning."

Link's blue eyes widened. "For _me_? From the _king_?"

In the background, Vaati was beginning to chant in a foreign language, probably Picori.

"What does it say?"

Smith sighed, deeply. "They're having trouble with the Holy Sword. Big trouble. You know, they used it to seal up that container of monsters again, right? Well, apparently, the seal wouldn't hold…"

"Hah!" Vaati exclaimed, and a bunch of warm, frosted pastries wrapped in bright, ridged paper popped into existence on the table. "Dang it!" he cried. "I wanted _pancakes_! _Pan_cakes! Not _cupcakes_!"

"It's alright." Link took a bite out of a nearby chocolate one that had appeared on his plate. "I like cupcakes even better than pancakes."

"Not very healthy though," Smith criticized, glancing up.

"I'm sorry!" Vaati immediately burst out. "I'll go get rid of them right now!" He struggled to scoop all the cupcakes into his arms.

"Just leave them in the cupboard!" Smith called after him. "No need to waste all that fresh food."

As the sorcerer struggled out of sight, Link turned his attention back to the letter and began to read it for himself. His mouth dropped open in exasperation. "What?! But…but I just saw the sword in the box a few months ago! The new champion went up and touched it and everything! Nothing happened."

Smith shook his head, sadly. "The seal wouldn't last for the rest of the year. The sword catapulted straight out of it, and all the monsters flew back into the world."

Link squinted at the letter. "He says he's been having premonitions about a man in a long, black robe. I wonder if that has anything to do with it."

"But he's asking for your help with it, Link," Smith gravely told his grandson. "Personally, I don't think it's fair. Relying on you to save everyone from all the monsters all the time… And you just a child…"

"I don't mind!" Link valiantly cried, shoving the letter back onto the table, determinedly. "If there are monsters out there, threatening Hyrule again, I want to help eliminate them!"

"What about monsters?" Vaati entered back into the room from placing his conjured cupcakes carefully into the cupboard in the back of the long forge room. "Are you talking about me behind my back?"

"No, Vaati." Link didn't find his little joke funny. "And stop saying that—it's terrible."

"I was just joking." He sat, awkwardly, at the table next to him and noticed their grim expressions. "Um…so what's wrong?"

"The seal on the box using the new Holy Sword wouldn't hold," Smith began to explain. "And the monsters inside got out into the world again."

Vaati goggled at him. He blinked, and slowly, his eyebrows turned upwards. He opened his mouth to say something, but Link cut him off.

"No, it has nothing to do with you. Apparently, something in the sword's composition was incomplete and not as strong as the original sword." He frowned back down at the grave tidings in the letter in his hand. "I'm going to have to leave later tonight to go to the castle and figure out what the problem is." He smiled, slightly. "I guess the adventure's not over yet, huh?"

Vaati's eyes widened, across from him. Suddenly, he leaped out of his seat, no longer able to control his feelings. "U-Um, could I…? Would you let me come with you?!"

Link was completely shocked. This had been the last thing he'd been expecting. "Um…you want to go to the castle with me?"

"I want to help you," Vaati offered, clearly. "I want to go on the adventure with you." He stared into his eyes, determinedly but nervously. "I…I _can_ help you. I'm not much of a fighter, but I do have magic! I've gotten a lot better since last year! I was just thinking that Ezlo might know something about why the sword's acting up, and I could ask him for you! If I helped you, I could help save the world! I could do a good thing and make up for my mistakes last year! I could earn everyone's trust and forgiveness back! …Or at least get them to not hate me as much…" A hush again fell over the room.

Link tilted his head slightly in consideration. "Well, you are still recovering from your brush with death… I don't really want to put you in harm's way… Plus, you keep having those attacks…"

Vaati's face fell a little bit, and he tucked his head down to examine the tablecloth. "Yeah…" he quietly admitted. "I guess I am a bit of extra baggage. I'd be a burden on you…"

"Why not?!"

Vaati's head snapped back up. "What?"

"Sure, I'd love to have you along." Link flashed a smile across to him. "Last time, I had Ezlo with me, remember? He used to constantly nag me and store soggy old sandwiches on my head. I'm sure I can deal with someone I have to constantly look out for and who occasionally goes into hallucination fits."

Vaati burst into the biggest, most delighted smile Link had seen from him so far. "_Really_?! Woooohoooo!!!" He couldn't stop himself from jumping up into the air, running to Link's side, and throwing his arms around him. "Thank you! This is going to be so great! I can't wait 'til we get out there! I haven't gotten to explore everywhere…oooh, I just can't wait!!!"

Link chuckled. He's never seen Vaati so excited about anything, even compared to when he'd stolen the Light Force last year. He was going to bounce off the walls and explode with happiness.

"Don't run off just yet," Smith spoke up, glancing back over at the overexcited sorcerer. "You promised to repaint my house, remember?"

Vaati immediately shoved Link away and turned to him with an enthusiastic salute. "Yes sir! I think I'll go start on it right now!" Before you could say "cupcakes", he was bolting for the door, throwing it open, and rolling up his sleeves.

"Hey!" Link called after him, holding out a desperate hand. "Vaati! Wait! You might not be strong enough after…" When there was no response, he grumbled and stomped out the door after him.

It was going to be an interesting quest, all right. An interesting quest indeed.


	2. Reunion and Separation

At last, an update! I thought I'd be able to make an update before Christmas, but nope. There's just been no time between working half the day and searching for a Wii at Wal-Mart (it has to be at Wal-Mart because that's where all my gift cards are to.) Haven't found one yet. Er…Happy Very Belated Holidays! First update of 2007! Whoot!

I can't believe how many reviews this has gotten! It even has more than my Vaati-centric fic, Unknown. That came as a shock to me. Makes me glad I overcame my fears about putting it up. Thanks so much for the support!

Yay! Lots of cute Minish-ness this chapter. I try to keep the description of Ezlo's workshop (minus the upstairs) as close to the actual canon one as possible. I have a screenshot of it saved on my computer! I also use more terms from the manga, like "entrances" for the Minish portals. I also have Vaati say a few simple greetings in Picori, which is probably completely incorrect backwards Japanese. Ah, well, I tried. It sounds nice, anyway.

I got a little carried away with the "almost-naked" scene. It was just so much fun… Yes, the real LinkxVaati stuff won't come until later—they're still just friends now, but this is a…little early hint of it.

It's okay if you don't understand all the talk about magical energies and experiments near the end…Link doesn't understand any of it either.

That's about it. I pull in the fatherly Ezlo from Unknown in the end. Speaking of which, I probably won't get around to updating this story for a while because I've got to concentrate on updating Unknown now. If you're a Vaati fan, you should definitely read it. (And not just because I want more reviews for it. Well, I do, but…)

As always, Link, Vaati, Ezlo, exc. belong to Nintendo. Manga made by Akira Himekawa, I believe the name was. That last name means Princess River! Groan… I better get into that Japanese class next year…

(-)

Chapter 2: Reunion and Separation

"Okay…well, first of all, you've got to have the correct stance… Stand with your legs slightly apart…yeah, that's good…and stagger them a little. You're right-handed, right? I'm a lefty myself."

It was actually the day after they'd received the letter. Smith had sent a note to the king, telling him that Link would be there as soon as he could to pick up the malfunctioning blade, but in the meanwhile, he'd be searching for the reason behind it. Vaati had wanted to take Link to see Ezlo soon.

"He should have some kind of idea of what might be wrong," Link had told his grandfather. "He's a very wise picori sage." But before the trip, Link decided to train Vaati in sword-fighting. It would be good for him to know how to defend himself, especially with all the monsters loose again. The two of them were having a practice session on the front lawn of the now dark-green-colored house.

"It's best to stand on the balls of your feet so you're always ready to move," Link instructed. "…Do you know what that means?"

Vaati had been staring confusedly down at his sandaled feet and looked back up at his teacher's question. "Um…I think so. It means to be slightly on your toes, right?"

"Not exactly," Link told him. "But close enough. Now, we just need to work on the proper moves to go with it!" He enthusiastically reached down to his belt and pulled out his personal new sword—the one he'd made himself—and brandished it proudly. Vaati just stared at him, mouth agape, but trying to freeze in his proper stance. Link stared back at him. "Oh!" he suddenly realized. "You don't have your sword!"

Vaati sweat-dropped. "No kidding…"

"Just wait right there!" Link cried, turning and sprinting back into the house. "I'll be right back! Don't break your stance!" Vaati sighed and stood rooted into the ground for a few moments.

After awhile, Link finally emerged again, carrying a shiny sword with a maroon-colored hilt wrapped in a blue cloth. "I almost forgot. This is yours, you know." He held it out for him to take it.

Vaati frowned as he gazed down at the sword within the cloth folds. "I can't accept this," he stated. "I didn't win it—you know that now. I won the tournament, but I did it by cheating."

"It was made for the winner of the tournament," Link tried to argue. "And that was you, whether you cheated or not. No one else is ever going to use it."

"I can't…it just doesn't feel right. I feel like a thief."

"Fine," Link finally consented. "Just use it for practice now, okay? I don't have any others available."

Vaati still didn't seem too happy with this decision, but slowly reached out to pick the sword out of his hand anyway.

"Where were we?" Link tucked the cloth into his pocket and pulled his own sword back out. "Oh, that's right! The initial slash!"

Vaati held his sword awkwardly in front of him like a baseball bat. He gritted his teeth and tried to look threatening.

"You're going to step forward with your left foot—that's the one that's back now—and swing your sword out in front of you." Link held his sword horizontally in front of him, about level with his chest. "Try to hit the center. That would do that most damage if I was a monster. Okay, ready?" Vaati didn't look ready, but struggled to wind the sword back in accordance.

"One…two…three!"

He followed the second part of the instructions, swinging the sword out in front of him like a tennis racket, but forgot to take his step forward. "Waaaaah!" Vaati's sword flew off to the left, and his body went with it. He rocketed halfway across the lawn, landing in a heap, facedown.

Link peeked down at him. "You forgot to step forward," he assessed. "And you used too much force. And I think you were holding it wrong in the first place. …Are you okay?"

A smile appeared on Vaati's face as he struggled back into a sitting position. He lifted his sword in mock triumph. "I am the champion!" he cried. Link chuckled, and Vaati started choking. He bent over in a little ball and shuddered, choking and coughing, his body pulsating.

"Are you okay?" Link asked again, kneeling next to him. Vaati couldn't answer between all the choking—he couldn't even stop to catch a breath. Link leaned over and gave him a hard slap on the back to help him to breathe.

"Ah-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm!" Vaati burst out instead. "Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm! Hee hee hee!"

Link couldn't help but laugh along with him. "Hah hah hah… Vaati? Hah-hah! Why were you…choking back your laughter?"

Vaati immediately stifled his giggles again and lapsed into a grave frown. "…It's an evil laugh," he criticized. "It's annoying too. I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Link slowly stopped laughing too and rested a hand on his back. "I didn't think it sounded evil or even annoying," he comforted him. "In fact, I think it sounded nice. This is the first time you've been able to laugh since you came here. A laugh is only evil when it has evil intentions behind it. It made me really happy to see you laughing like that."

Vaati took a deep breath and slowly smiled back at him. "…You're right," he realized. "This is the first time I've laughed in a long time."

"Good," Link said. He gave him a quick pat on the back as they both stood back up. "Keep laughing. And keep _trying_."

"Yeah!" Vaati burst out. "I remember! It's hard, but it's supposed to be and I've got to keep trying so I can grow and become stronger all by myself! …Or something like that."

"Yup." Link smiled back at him. "I know. I said something really deep and enlightening, but now I can't remember what it was!" He brought his own little sword back out and showed it to him. "See? Your hand curls around it this way. No, one hand. Just hold it in your right hand."

Vaati struggled to grip his sword and hold it up. "It's too heavy," he complained.

"Well, you need to build up your strength," Link told him. "No more 'poof' and you've got muscles. You're going to have to earn them."

Vaati sighed. "You give bad advice," he joked.

"Okay…" Link insisted, snatching up his own sword and showing off. "Let's try that move again now!"

(-)

"Ooooogh…" Link looked up from his lunch of bread and fruit salad, and even Smith broke away from his latest issue of "The Swordsman Newsletter" at the noise. "My aaaaaaarms…" Vaati moaned from the opposite side of the table. He put his head down on it and looked pathetically up at his evil personal trainer. "Liiiiiink…what have you _done_ to meeeeeeee…?"

Link just chuckled. "I'm making you into a fighter. C'mon, eat your lunch; it'll help you feel better."

"I can't," Vaati joked, not moving from his slumped position on top of the table. He gripped his fork with a trembling hand and tried to move it. His arm only twitched. "It's…too…heaveeeeee…"

"Poor baby," Link replied, with a smile. He knew he was only dramatically play-acting. "Oh, alright. Here." He held a piece of fruit out towards him on his fork. "I knew you were weak and helpless, but I didn't know I'd have to hand-feed you."

Vaati smiled and nibbled the apple slice off the end of his fork. "Thanks," he said, after he was finished chewing. "That's all I needed." He sat back up in his chair and picked up his fork again, as if the piece of fruit had revived him. "My arms really do hurt, though." He shoved a small piece of bread into his mouth. "I hup I'll be ebble ta transput you."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Smith criticized.

"Sowwi."

"Anyway," Link asked, once Vaati had finished. "Just how _are_ we going to magically shrink ourselves and enter the picori world?"

"You just said it," Vaati replied. "Magic."

"But I thought Ezlo was only able to bring me through the entrances because he was a special, mystical item or something."

Vaati shook his head, purple bang flopping over his face. "There was nothing special about Ezlo. He was just a bird…um, hat thing. All of the entrances are still there. You've seen them. I saw you looking at our house once. You nearly gave me another heart attack…but I digress…" Link's eyes were growing wide, and he'd been just about to start apologizing before Vaati continued right over him. "There's a certain chant Ezlo recited every time you went through an entrance. You remember? He started singing?"

Link frowned, jokingly. "How could I forget? I hear it in my nightmares, even to this day."

Vaati chuckled. "Well, anyway, the only thing that's missing is the 'allowing' essence that's only affecting the entrances for a certain amount of days after the anniversary. Ezlo managed to collect a sample of this essence and make copies of it, just before it went away completely. And so—there you are." Vaati pulled out a handful of little vials from some unseen pocket on his pants.

Link looked at the moving, bumping, colliding yellow sparkles contained in all of them. They were the sparkles that used to emit from an entrance whenever he got close to it—the magical essence of the anniversary allowance. "Wow…" he marveled. He couldn't take his eyes away from the little globes of light. They seemed almost like they were alive—trying to wriggle their way out of their little vials. "So…how come you think you'll have trouble transporting us? All of the ingredients are here."

"Well…" Vaati set his fork down and turned his head down to look at the table. "It'll be only the second time I've ever attempted it. Actually, the first time I've ever done the shrinking. And the first time I've ever tried taking anybody else with me. It's very difficult as is. You remember how beat-up I looked when I first arrived here? That was just from the little-to-big transformation all by itself."

The room lapsed into silence, and even Smith stopped chewing and put down his newsletter. Vaati's slumped body was beginning to tremble. "Are…are you _sure_ this is what you want to do? I mean, we could always do some other kind of research. Or I could just go by myself and get the information. You don't have to come with me."

Smith gently glanced over at his grandson. "It does sound dangerous…"

"No," Link insisted again. He had already talked over this plan with Vaati earlier. They had both agreed to go back through the nearest entrance and visit Ezlo at his workshop. They'd probably be able to figure out what was wrong with the Holy Sword there. "I _want _to go. I want to see Ezlo—you know that."

"But…"Vaati wouldn't look up at him when he talked. He was just too distressed—too pressured and guilty even to look into his face. "But what if…what if it hurts you? What if you get all bruised and torn up like I did? I…I don't want to hurt you. If…if something happens to you during the transportation, I'll…I'll never be able to forgive myself."

Link reached over and forcefully pulled his head up. "I'm an idiot," he let him know. "I'm crazy. I'm mentally deranged. I _want _to go, no matter what happens. If something happens to me, it'll be my own fault because you warned me and yet I still wanted to go. You just remember that."

Vaati slowly sat back upright, but he didn't look too settled on the matter.

Smith was opening his mouth to make some other sort of comment, but Link never let him. "And don't you try to stop me either. I want to go. I'm going. It's decided. In fact, I've got to finish packing after lunch."

Vaati and Smith looked at each other across the table. At last, they were in agreement about something. They exhaled in mutual sighs of release. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you," Vaati admonished, sadly. "And don't come crying to me when you end up as mutant picori-human thing," Smith resolutely added.

"Thank you for that vote of confidence," Link coldly replied. He gave a smile over to his nervous sorcerer partner. "I trust you, Vaati," he said. "And I can't wait to go! After all, taking risks is what an adventure is all about!"

(-)

Fortunately for our impatient hero, he didn't have to wait much longer for the transportation struggle to begin. Link carried a small sack containing his sword, the Gust Jar, the Cane of Pacci, the Mole Mitts, the lantern, the Roc's Cape, a bow and some arrows, a shield, some bombs, a handful of rupees, some Kinstones, and a bit of rations.

All Vaati had with him were his vials of transportation sparkles and a new pair of brown boots and long red pants Smith had made for him. He was able to conjure up clothes, sure, but he could never make anything other than copies of his standard tunic-and-shorts ensemble, for some inexplicable reason. "Sandals may be comfortable right now," the old sword-smith had advised, "But they're no good for hiking." Vaati had thanked him a million times and wanted to stay and do more work for him, but Link had pulled him outside to start the transportation.

Vaati frowned over at the bulging sack on Link's back as the two of them walked through South Hyrule Field. "You know, you might be bringing all that with you for nothing," he informed him. "It's probably not going to come through with you."

"But it did before!" Link tried to argue. "Whenever Ezlo shrunk me, he shrunk all my items and stuff too. The Gust Jar and the lantern were actually originally picori-sized."

Vaati sighed. He'd been doing a lot of sighing lately. "I just hope it doesn't all squash you and suffocate you to death."

"You're such an optimist," Link joked. "You always make me feel safe and secure."

Vaati smiled. "Yup. And you might end up as a mutant picori-human thing. Seriously, though, the worst thing that can happen is that you'll get really badly scratched and bruised, but I'm hoping that it won't happen to you."

They were approaching the town border now, and Link paused to raise an eyebrow. "Um…just where are we going?"

"There's my house." Vaati stopped and pointed to the small stump of a young tree near the base of the border wall. "Now, we just need to find an entrance nearby."

Link's eyes widened. "That's your house?! You mean…Ezlo is in there right now?!" He dropped to his knees on the ground and peered at the little stump. "Hey, Ezlo!" he called. "You in there? It's me, Link!"

"Get up," Vaati embarrassingly grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back to his feet. "You'll get to see him again soon enough; just help me find an entrance!"

It didn't take them long. Link just bashed a nearby tree to the ground, revealing a stump with a star-shaped hole in the middle of it.

"Okay…" Vaati took a deep breath. He set his extra vials at the stump's roots. "You can get up on the stump and get ready, if you want," he told him. "I'll be right back—I just have to take off my clothes."

Link's eyes popped open wide. "You have to _what_?!"

"I have to take off my clothes."

"That's what I thought you said. Why do you have to…"

"I don't know," Vaati exasperatingly admitted. "I just have to. It won't work otherwise. You just relax for a moment—I'll be right back."

Link stared after him as he turned and disappeared into the nearby clumps of bushes. He blinked. His cheeks began to turn pink. "I have to take off my clothes" he'd said. Not "I have to take off _some _of my clothes". Did that mean…? His heart started beating faster. Would he be able to stand there next to…?

Just as he was about to cop out and go hide somewhere, he began to see Vaati re-emerging from the bushes. Instinctually, he began to shut his eyes, but he really had nothing to fear. Vaati had a piece of cloth tied around his waist like a bath towel…but nothing else. It was both a disturbance and a relief at the same time.

He came back up to the side of the stump and placed his folded pile of clothes next to the extra vials at the roots. He clutched one of the vials in his right hand and some other unseen object in the fist of his left. Carefully, he stepped up onto the stump beside Link, being wary of his bare feet.

Link's face flushed deep red again. He couldn't stop himself from staring. Vaati's skin was just so…white. Even though he'd seen his white face, hands, and feet, he'd subconsciously thought that underneath his clothes, the rest of him was flesh-colored. Vaati's whole body was snow-white. It was so light it almost seemed to be glowing. It _was_ glowing…light purple. It was as if he had purple blood. He didn't seem real…he looked like a being from a higher reality…a ghost or an angel or something. So…radiantly white.

Vaati glanced over, noticed his flustered state, and grinned a little. "Am I making you uncomfortable now? Admiring my well-built body, huh?" he sarcastically teased, with a little chuckle.

"You do have beautiful skin," Link blurted out, but then immediately flushed an even deeper shade of red.

Vaati just laughed, thinking he was joking. "Beautiful like chalk paste. Okay, time for the solution."

As Vaati held the vial up and carefully uncapped it to spill the sparkles into the little opening on the stump, Link continued to stare at him. Now that he noticed, there were a few grey-colored bruises dotting his legs and arms. He looked up at his chest and shivered at the sight of the vein-laced, vertical scar in the center where he had stabbed himself. You could still see bony shoulder, elbow, and knee bones. His shoulder-blades were still there, as well as a few ribs, and Link examined his entire spinal column as he bent over. "You need to eat more," he spoke up again. "You're not eating enough."

Vaati just rolled his eyes at him. "That's what you and your grandfather always say. If I listened to you all the time, I'd be a balloon by now. …Okay, are you ready?"

Link didn't feel ready, but he nodded all the same.

"Here we go." Vaati gently closed his eyes and reached out.

Link felt his bony fingers entwine with his own and his face went up in flames. He was glad Vaati had his eyes closed so he couldn't see how much he was blushing. For crying out loud—he'd only just met the boy again, and now he was standing next to his near-naked body, holding his hand. Somehow, he thought he preferred the old "squashing while a living hat jumped up and down on your head" method.

Slowly, Vaati was beginning to sing. It sounded different, in his own high-pitched voice, but Link could recognize it as the same song that Ezlo used to sing during the shrinking process. The language was once again foreign to him—it wasn't Picori or Hylian—but the tune was the very same and comfortably familiar. Vaati wasn't too bad of a singer either—his voice sounded delicate and gentle, pronouncing those mysterious ancient syllables. Link was beginning to relax and not mind the awkward situation. He closed his eyes as well and listened to Vaati's voice. The little yellow sparkles from the vial were beginning to float up around them, bathing them in light.

After a moment, Link became dimly aware of his hand being pulled. His arm was moving upwards. Eventually, he found his arm somewhere above his head. Vaati was lifting it and holding it there. His voice was starting to fade away. Link's heartbeat quickened slightly. This was it. The moment of truth. Do or die. He sucked in his breath.

The last word of the song sounded…and then faded away into the distance. A moment of merciful silence. Then it began.

First, Link felt himself being compressed. A humongous weight pressed down over his shoulders and up underneath his feet. Strangely enough, it didn't hurt. He just felt his body squishing, like a rubber band. He could still feel Vaati's bony hand in his own…that was being compressed with all the rest of him, and he wondered how long they'd stay together. As it turned out, not long.

Suddenly, the floor dropped away from underneath him, or rather, he began to slip through the crack in the stump. Link felt the wind whip around his shrinking body. At first, his fear and adrenaline began to race through him again. _The mushroom is coming_, he reminded himself. Soon, he'd hit the mushroom and bounce off it like a trampoline. It was amazing…it seemed as if these entrances had been specifically designed that way. Just as Link began to relax, assured, he felt Vaati's hand being violently wrenched out of his own. "Vaati?!"

_Boing_! He hit the first mushroom hard, and his eyes popped open. His body was still continually shrinking, but he didn't even notice now. His wide blue eyes busily scanned for any sight of Vaati. He didn't see him…but he heard him.

"Aaaaaugh!" that high-pitched little voice screamed in the distance.

"Vaati?!" Link yelled again. "Where are you?! Are you okay?!"

_Boing_! He hit the second mushroom. He was closer to the bottom now…why couldn't he see Vaati?!

"Aaaaugh! Aaaaaaaah! …ugh!" He was in pain! Something had gone wrong! Something had gone terribly, terribly, wrong!

_Boing_! Link's body hit the final mushroom, and it flung him forward onto the ground. "Ooof!" He landed softly on his stomach and immediately scrambled back up to his knees. He looked around himself, desperately. Vaati had come through the same entrance…he had to be around here somewhere.

Now the real fear was starting up in his chest. Where had he gone? Was he okay? What if he landed somewhere else and was too injured to move or even answer him? He couldn't hear that screaming little voice anymore… Oh my Goddesses! What if he had died?!

"_Vaati_?!" Link rushed back up to his feet. He broke into an immediate run, sprinting desperately around the stump's perimeter. "Vaati, are you in here? Are you okay? Answer me!" Nothing.

An incredible sadness started to settle onto him. He was gone… How… It had all happened so quickly. Link hung his head. Vaati had always been so worried about something happening to him during the transformation…he should've been more worried about what might happen to _himself_. Even though he knew he shouldn't, Link couldn't help feeling a little bit guilty. He'd insisted on doing this, after all. And Vaati was so concerned with Link's own safety, maybe he'd used up all his magic protecting him, and then hadn't had enough left for himself.

Tears were beginning to start up under Link's crystal-blue eyes. He plopped back down into the dirt for a minute. "Vaati…"

After a few moments, he shook himself. No. He couldn't just sit here all day, feeling sorry and crying over his loss. As tragic an accident as it had been, he had to move on. He had to pick himself up and go find Ezlo. Tears almost came back to his eyes as he imagined how devastated Ezlo would be at the news. Link would feel terrible—like he had physically killed him himself. He shook himself again. No more self-pity. Focus…

At last, Link took a big, deep breath and steadied himself. Then, at last, he stepped out of the doorway at the stump's base. Almost immediately, he noticed the vials. They were huge glass tablets of monumental proportions. The sparkles pinging around inside were as big as his entire body.

Suddenly, in recognition, Link looked down to check his pack. All of his items _had_ come through. He fingered a few miniature rupees for a moment before turning away. A huge pile of light blue cloth blanketed the ground in front of him. Maybe…that had been another thing. Another thing that Vaati had used up all his magical energy on, just to keep him safe.

Suddenly, he began to see flashes of memory… Vaati's body against his shoulder, trembling with sobs, the boy's smile at the thought of helping him on his journey… He'd been so very happy…that smile had been so beautiful it had warmed his own heart and made him smile too. A tear slipped down his cheek. He just couldn't take it anymore. "_Vaati_!!" he yelled, the pain and agony of his loss tearing through his heart. How could he have let such a terrible thing happen to such a wonderful person?

"Will you hold on a minute?!" a squeaky voice suddenly yelled out. "Geez, I know you want to see Ezlo again, but wait until I get my clothes back on!"

Link froze. That voice… "Vaati?!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." Like a miracle, a little purplish creature emerged from underneath the blue cloth. It put its large hands on its chubby hips. "What are you staring at?"

Link's mouth fell open. He couldn't stop himself from gaping. He hadn't even remembered. Vaati was a picori. If he shrunk, he would return to picori form.

Vaati stared indignantly back up at him from underneath his flopping lavender bangs. His red eyes were bright and beady. His head was oval-shaped and his pointed nose turned up to look at him. His hair was much shorter, but still unusually long for his kind. It framed his face cutely, ending just a little below the chin. A blue-and-purple robe covered his body, a red Taurus symbol adorning the front, and it ended in elegant petal shapes at the bottom. His legs were short, chubby, round things, hidden by the long robe, and two bare, three-toed, claw-like feet stuck out the bottom.

"Uh…" Link slowly struggled to say. "I wasn't expecting…"

Vaati nodded. "I figured as much. You were around me for so long while I was a human that you completely forgot that I'm _not_ a human."

"But…but you just disappeared!" Link protested. "And I heard you screaming as I was transforming. I thought something terrible had happened to you!"

"Well, having my body transform back into this is a bit painful," Vaati explained. "My head has to get squished, my nose lengthened, my legs blown up, my feet curled up and lengthened…it's not very fun. And since my body actually changes shape, my clothes wouldn't fit right, so they don't come through the entrance with me. When I went through, I had my picori clothes in my fist and just changed under this towel. If I'd tried to go through with my clothes on, there would've been too much cloth on top of me, and I might've suffocated to death."

Link could only blink at him. After a moment, all this finally registered in his mind. He broke into a grateful smile and swept Picori Vaati into his arms. "Vaati! You're alive! You're alive! I'm so happy!"

"Of course I'm alive," Vaati grumbled, being squashed in his strong arms. "I'm sorry I didn't explain exactly what was going to happen. I thought you might object to my being in pain, and… We've got to get to my house…before some animal or a monster comes and…steps on us."

Link released him again, but Vaati couldn't stand up straight and leaned back against him. "Uuurgh…" he mumbled. "Um…do you mind supporting me until we get there?" His voice was softer and fading away at the ends of sentences. "I really…don't feel…strong enough…"

Link wrapped his arms around him again. "Right. That must have used up a lot of your magic power. Are you okay? What happens if it gets totally depleted?"

"I'd just pass out," Vaati whispered back. "But it's okay. I don't think I'm going to pass out—I've still got a little bit left. …I'm just so…tired…"

"Okay…but you're going to have to give me some directions," Link assented. "I remember where the workshop was when I was a human, but I always get disoriented when the grass below my feet is suddenly up above my head."

"Just keep going," Vaati whispered into his ear. "Keep following that dirt path…it's close to the base of the wall. Eventually, you're going to turn and head down. I'll tell you when, but…you should be able to see the stump over the grass. It's two stories…"

And so, Link continued along the picori road, supporting Vaati and constantly training his eyes up towards the sky to watch for any signs of the towering young stump. Thankfully, there were no signs of either bugs or monsters…because Link would've had to try wielding a sword in his right hand—a very difficult feat.

After a while, Link saw the spot where he was supposed to turn, on his own. The stump looked like a two-story house jutting up amidst a congregation of trees, and instinctually, he knew where the entrance was. "We're almost there!" he called cheerfully down to Vaati, who was currently examining a spot on his shoulder. "We're almost there…hang on."

A dull pain crept through the spot on his shoulder and, looking down, he noticed that Vaati was poking it with one long skinny finger. "You're bruised," he obviously stated.

"Don't pay any attention to that," Link told him. "We're almost there. Head up, you've got to open the door or something."

Vaati tried to lift his head from Link's shoulders and hold it straight, but it was impossible, and it immediately flopped back against his shoulder. "Okay…"

By now, the front door to the stump-house was before them. Link could see little windows in the upstairs rooms, and even a few sections smeared with berry juice as paint. His feet squashed against a doormat woven from cat fur, and he reached out a fist to knock against the door. _Please_… he prayed. _Hear this knock and run for the door…_ Vaati was growing heavier and heavier in his left arm and he didn't know how much longer he could continue to hold him up.

To his shock, the door swung open all by itself. "Um…" he called into the vast workshop. "Hello?" Oh, well, an open door was an invitation to come in. Link had never thought much of barging into people's houses before, sometimes even knocking down their doors. At least this time, he was barging into the house of a friend.

Cautiously, he stepped into the house, dragging Vaati with him. "Hello?" he called again. And then, all hell broke loose.

An oval-shaped head covered with white hair and a long beard suddenly poked up above the stack of books resting on a long workbench. Its giant, curled tuft of hair wobbled on top of it with the movement, and its beady black eyes widened as they stared into his own.

"Ezlo!" Link burst out.

_Whump_! Suddenly, Vaati dropped from his shoulder and slammed against the wooden floor.

_Why? _Link wondered. _I thought he said he wasn't going to pass out. _Then, he pulled his collar back to look at his shoulder. There was no sign of anything that looked like a bruise. Link rolled his eyes down at the unconscious Vaati. "You didn't have to do that," he whispered, sadly. He wondered if he'd have to deal with Vaati trying to sacrifice for him like this the whole journey.

"Aaaaaaaugh!" Ezlo shrieked—a delayed reaction. He leaped up out of his seat and swept forward towards him. There was going to be a lot of explaining to do.

(-)

"Phew." Ezlo patted Vaati in his bed like a giant piece of luggage that he'd finally lugged up onto its proper shelf. "Really, though. I should have been expecting this. It would take an enormous amount of magical energy to make the transfer, especially when we have to supply the magic essence ourselves…"

He turned, with a smile, to his former partner, as if noticing him for the first time. "Link! It's wonderful to see you again. I never thought a day like this would come."

Link could do nothing but give the old picori sage a great big, grateful hug, enveloping himself in his beard and long, plain green robe. "Me neither. I thought I'd never see you again."

Ezlo grinned and patted the boy's green-capped head. "Aw, but I've heard you," he replied. "You came here and jabbered away at me, as if to an invisible friend."

Link blushed a little. He'd really heard all those stupid little things he'd said?

"You're taller, huh?" Ezlo stated, knowing this for a fact. "Yup. Just a little bit more, and you'll be taller than me."

Link noticed, surprisingly, that he was about level with the old sage's face. "But why…?" he asked. "You're a lot older than me, and I've still got a lot of growing left to do…" He just felt strange being face-to-face with an adult.

"Humans are taller than picori," Ezlo simply stated. "Even when shrunk down to picori level. It's just the way you're built."

Link blinked. Suddenly, he remembered that Vaati had been shorter than him, even though he'd been the same size, if not a little taller, before the transformation.

Link pulled away from Ezlo and calmly looked around. He was in the upstairs portion now, in Vaati's room. It wasn't too impressive—just a bookshelf lined with textbooks and picori adventure novels. One row was dedicated to books written on human studies. Link was almost tempted to pick up one of them—see what the picori thought of his kind. Then, he realized that most of it would be criminal records. Ezlo obviously trusted him enough to let those books stay there on the shelf.

A small desk sat in the corner, a few scrolls and an inkwell placed on its surface. A tiny closet, containing only a blanket, a leaf umbrella, two copies of the clothes Vaati had on, and a dark blue hat opened on the other side of the wall. Even though there was an oblong rug covering the floor near the bed, and a few old toys wrapped up in plastic bags in the corner, Link could feel a certain gloom and loneliness from the room. He wondered how often Vaati got to go outside. He probably couldn't anymore, thanks to his own abominable mistakes last year. Smith had been wrong to say "he should be in prison". He already _was _in prison.

"So," Ezlo was beginning to say as he and Link descended the stairs back to the workshop. "What brings you all the way here? No wonder Vaati fainted, having to bring you along with him. I was expecting him to come back soon—it'd already been a few weeks. He left earlier than he was supposed to, anyway. That's my Vaati—ever the impatient child. Thank the Goddesses it came out okay. We had scheduled a transportation for later that week, under my guidance, but no, he had to get impatient and impulsive and do it all by himself. He probably scared himself half to death and put himself in desperation again…"

"The monsters are back." Link began with this grave sentence in order to pull Ezlo out of his monologue. Just as he'd expected, the old picori's jabber ground to a halt. They had finally reached the workshop again at the bottom of the stairs. Ezlo reached out to snatch his tall, wooden staff from where it was leaning against the wall, but his eyes never left Link's face. The carved head of the bird with the curly tuft of hair on top of it seemed to mirror his grim expression.

"The monsters that were sealed away in the box—using the Holy Sword and the Light Force…"

"Yes, yes, I knew what you were talking about," Ezlo replied, waving away his explanation. "I was just in awe of what you said. It had nothing to do with…?" He jabbed his staff towards the staircase that they had just come down.

"No," Link quickly answered. "Apparently, there was some flaw in the sword's composition and the new seal on the monster box wouldn't hold. It came flying out, and all the monsters spread throughout Hyrule again. That's why I came here. To find out if you might know what's wrong with it."

Ezlo sighed, walked over to the nearest workbench, and put a hand on the picori-sized book sitting against its surface. "This is just what I feared," he disappointedly realized. "A lot of work went into the original sword's construction. Forces that even I am not sure of. One thing is for sure—the original picori magicians and sword-smiths did it by hand. It was a very difficult process. In fact, I think they created the Elemental Sanctuary specifically for the purpose we used it for—in case the sword was ever broken and needed to be re-forged." Ezlo looked down into the stack of books lining the inner shelves of the workbench. "I may have the answer…but it may take several days of research and studying the ancient tomes to find it."

Link nodded. "Guess I'm temporarily moving in, huh?" He frowned as he tried to remember all of the details of the news. "The king also said in his letter to me that he was having dreams—premonitions—about a man in a long black robe coming to Hyrule. Would you know anything about that?"

Ezlo's bearded face looked unusually puzzled. "A man in a black robe? Peculiar. At least I don't know anyone who wears black robes. Is it a menacing figure?"

Link shrugged. "I just assumed so, since it was wearing black robes. Normally, people wearing dark clothing aren't very friendly. But then again, that's kind of a stereotype."

Ezlo nodded. "Let us only hope it is actually an omen of good fortune. We'll worry about it later—I've got to research this sword problem."

And so for the next few hours, Ezlo sat around, reading out of a pile of books and occasionally jotting down notes on a nearby scroll. Link quickly grew bored of watching his behavior and began examining the room instead. Books were all over the place. Four small bookcases with rounded tops stood in formation on opposites sides of the walls near the entrance. One little glow-mushroom grew against the left wall, with a towering candle in the corner. There were two long workbenches that doubled as shelving, with stools positioned on either side of them. The back workbench, against the wall was littered with all kinds of unrecognizable junk. Sheets of paper blanketed its surface, followed by various dripping quills. An enormous (or at least it seemed to him) loaf of bread sat in the corner. A knife had stopped in the middle of the process of slicing it up. Various human remnants—like a few buttons and a stack of gears—also cluttered the corner. A few pieces of parchment were tacked to the wall in random spots—probably spells and recipes. One of them even resembled a calendar.

A tiny jar sat between the candle and the workbench, two strange magical staffs sticking out of it. Link eyed a particularly interesting one topped by a blue jewel and felt a sudden urge to snatch it up and see what it could do. No wonder Vaati had felt a similar urge to try on Ezlo's miracle hat.

Speaking of Vaati… "Link?" Ezlo suddenly spoke up from his bench, before Link had a chance to even touch the staff. "Would you take a piece of that bread in that corner up to Vaati? He should be waking up by now."

"Sure!" Link exclaimed, grateful to have something to do at last. He skipped over to the back workbench, took the knife, and sliced off the next piece of bread. Geez, this workbench was so cluttered. He half-expected to find another old sandwich stuck somewhere under the papers. Link smiled at the nicely-formed slice he'd managed to slice off.

Then, his head turned and noticed the knife in his hand. A chill went up his spine. A bread knife. The same kind of knife Vaati had used to stab himself with. Link's blue eyes went wide, and he immediately buried the knife underneath the bread loaf, out of sight.

"I'll go up and check on him," Link offered, moving towards the stairs against the western wall. "Should I force him to eat this bread?"

Ezlo was too buried in his research and didn't even look up at him.

"Okay," Link sarcastically replied. "I'll shove it down his throat."

As Link began to ascend the stairs once again, he thought he might actually do so. Finally, he emerged from the top of the stairs into a wooden hallway and pinpointed Vaati's bedroom on the left. When he walked in this time, he felt a bit like history was repeating itself.

Vaati was awake, as Ezlo had predicted, and sitting up, but seemed unable or just too tired to get out of bed. It felt a bit like the old situation back at his house, except they were in Vaati's room instead of his own, and Vaati was, of course, a picori. His bright red, oval-shaped picori eyes shone back at him.

Link smiled and moved to his side with the piece of bread.

Vaati smiled back. "_Kurin-nku_, _wachinniko_!" he burst out in cheerful recognition.

Link frowned. What was that supposed to mean? At first, he thought that Vaati might be playing some kind of joke on him, but the little picori looked just as confused as he was.

"…_Wachinniko_?" he asked again, cocking his purple-framed head. "…_Yohao_? …_Kurin-nku_?!"

Link cocked his own head in reply. "Um…Vaati? Are you okay? Did you hit your head when you fell? Did something happen during the transportation?"

Vaati just scowled a little and tried again. "Hilo?" he asked. It was Hylian, but with that same little squeaky accent. "…Guud munning? …Leank?!"

"Um…yeah. You're speaking Hylian now. Can you understand me?"

Vaati nodded. "I was speaking Picori before," he explained. "It's just kind of automatic, and I forgot… If you couldn't understand it, then the effects of the Jabber Nut must have worn out by now. We're going to have to get you to eat another one."

Link frowned. "Good luck. That thing wasn't very tasty at all."

Vaati smiled. "I'll have to tell Ezlo to improve upon the flavor."

"Speaking of food and Ezlo," Link began, holding the piece of bread in his hand out. "He sent me to come shove this down your throat."

Vaati sighed. "Not him too." He reached out and took the small piece of bread slice, nevertheless. "He's trying to get me to recharge quicker. Sleep and food help recharge a creature's magical energy. Thankfully, I slept enough in order to recharge one-quarter of the way."

"I'll have to remember that," Link considered. "Well, maybe the bread will help recharge another quarter."

"Mmm," Vaati agreed, mouth currently full. He swallowed and replied, "Yeah. I should be down in another half-hour. Did you tell Ezlo about our mission yet?"

Link nodded. "He's downstairs, making research notes right now."

"Good. I'll meet you down there in a while."

It _was _a while. It was about another hour before Vaati finally came down to the workshop, refreshed and ready to go.

"You're not wearing your hat." For some reason, this small detail had slipped Link's mind earlier, but when Vaati reappeared again, it was the first thing he noticed. Probably because he'd been staring at illustrations of properly-capped picori for the last thirty minutes.

"Oh," Vaati replied, almost as if noticing it for the first time as well. "Well…I don't like hats now."

Ezlo rolled his eyes at this explanation, breaking away from his research for a moment. "Now he thinks that every hat in the world is going to turn him into a monster."

"It's not _that_," Vaati tried to explain. "I just feel like a criminal every time I put on a hat. It's horrible because in town picori society, to walk around without a hat on is considered improper. But I feel afraid and awkward whenever I wear mine…"

"I can understand," Link assured him. "But you need to get over these feelings. There's nothing wrong with wearing a perfectly normal picori hat. Though I don't understand what the big deal is if you don't want to."

Vaati plopped onto a nearby stool and sighed. "In any case, I'm ready to join the study session now. Have you found out anything yet, Ezlo?"

Ezlo turned towards his apprentice and replied in a fast-moving, squeaky tongue. Great. More Picori. Vaati saw the disappointed and confused faces Link was making out of the corner of his eye and interrupted the stream of Gibberish. "We're going to have to speak Hylian," he said, in Hylian. "Link can't understand Picori anymore. Apparently, the Jabber Nut's effects wore off in the last year."

Ezlo sighed, disappointed that he would have to start all over again. "I'm going to have to order another one from the Forest gardeners, then," he realized. "Anyway…what I was saying was that it's difficult to get any information about the original sword's composition from the scrolls. The ancient ones kept their method a deep secret for fear that it could fall into the hands of evil…"

Vaati immediately removed his hand from the book he'd been pulling towards him.

"…Nevertheless, they may have kept these instruction somewhere on record, except hidden in some sort of advanced code. I know they _did_ make precautions in case the sword needed to be re-forged. They built the Elemental Sanctuary, after all."

Vaati automatically lowered his head until his hair nearly swept the top of the workbench, like a duster or a paintbrush. "And if it hadn't been for me, none of it would've been necessary."

Ezlo sighed. Apparently, he'd heard this statement several times in the past. "Just be quiet and help with the research," he replied. "Help fix up your own mistakes, hmm?"

Slowly, Vaati nodded and pulled the books towards him again. "Yeah. I guess so."

"I can help too!" Link eagerly offered, zipping to the other side of the workbench. "I can read some of the books for you and help look for clues."

Ezlo smiled, amusedly. "That would be a great help," he appreciated. "But…" he opened another book on the table to a random page near its center. "…I doubt you'd be able to understand it."

Unfortunately, he was right. The book, and assuredly any other book he could pull out of the workbench/bookcase was entirely written in Picori.

"Um…" Link grinned sheepishly. "I'll just leave the research to you two then."

Ezlo nodded. "Good choice."

"But what _can_ I do?" Link eagerly asked his old adventuring buddy. He really wished he could help them somehow. After all, this was partly his adventure.

"You can make us dinner," Ezlo replied. "There are more ingredients in the corner cupboard."

Link frowned, wishing for a more exciting job. "Er…can't you just poof yourselves up a cupcake platter or something?"

"No time," Ezlo explained. "And besides, I need to save all of my magical energy towards deciphering this code. There could quite possibly be a strong enchantment on these scrolls."

Link groaned, but got to work pulling canned pieces of fruit out of a cupboard in the back workbench where books normally sat. What did picori like to eat anyway? Well, Link remembered that Vaati liked blueberries from breakfast before, and Ezlo sure seemed to like sandwiches… Eventually, after dinner, they had him cleaning the back workbench. By the end of the day, he was grateful for the small, makeshift mattress conjured up for him that night.

While Vaati went off to bed upstairs, Ezlo remained awoke, moving his hands over the scrolls and trying to unlock their secrets. His own scroll of notes was now more than three feet long. Link eventually fell asleep to the soothing glow of the green mushroom and the lively scratching of Ezlo's quill against parchment.

(-)

_Yawn_… The next morning, or rather afternoon, Vaati arrived back down in the workshop, looking sleepy. He was not at all a morning person, as Link had already learned back at his house the first time he'd gotten him up to go downstairs. Link and Ezlo, of course, had already been up for quite a while.

"Good morning," Vaati called to them, mindlessly slipping onto his stool.

"Good _afternoon_," Ezlo corrected, with a smile. "Would you like some brunch? Link left the leftovers in the back."

"Thank you." But when Vaati got up and moved to the back of the room, the first thing he noticed wasn't the food sitting there, or the remarkable cleanliness. It was Link, sitting on a stool of his own and smiling as he flipped through a large book.

Vaati raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. "I thought you couldn't read Picori."

"I can't," Link replied, an equally suspicious smile twisting onto his face. In any case, he couldn't seem to stop smiling. "There are no words in this book."

Vaati pulled away and grabbed himself a muffin. He cocked his head back and tried to see the book's title. He didn't think they had any more picture books—especially ones that big.

"Well, it's not a book, really," Link continued playing his little game. "It's a photo album."

Vaati looked up again and his little beady picori eyes widened.

Link grinned over the album's cover. "Your baby pictures."

Vaati's pallid cheeks suddenly flushed a very light shade of pink. "P-put that down!" he yelled, lunging for the album in Link's hands.

Link simply pulled it away and chuckled at his embarrassed state. "Don't get upset," he said. "I think you were a very cute baby."

Vaati frowned and looked over Link's shoulder at a few of the pictures. Both depicted a tiny creature with huge, bright red eyes, a round face, short, stubby little fingers and toes, and a squashy, round body playing outside and making dirt-castles. He had a curling brown hat and a red-and-blue play outfit, pieces of purple bangs just barely poking out from below the hat. In all of the pictures, he was smiling, waving, and posing for the camera. In some, there were even little pink oval "ticks" on his cheeks, like other picori had.

While Link smiled and was about to make a comment about his cute expressions, Vaati only continued to frown. "I was fat," he decided.

"You weren't fat," Link argued. "You were healthy. It's baby fat. Besides, picori just look chubby by nature."

At this statement, Vaati frowned down towards his feet. "I think that's why I like being a human so much," he hypothesized. "These chubby legs aren't very attractive."

Link just smiled and chuckled back at him. "I'm having fun," he replied. "And I don't care what you say, you were adorable. At least these ones aren't as embarrassing as the ones with the bib and the stuffed bird…"

Vaati blushed again and promptly turned away from him to focus on his own workbench. "Would you do me a favor and be quiet?!" he snapped. "You're impeding progress."

"Oh, but it was worth it," Link replied. "You'll have to excuse my occasional outbursts of girlish squealing."

After the room fell silent again, the announcement came. "I think I might have something." Immediately, Vaati and Link looked up from their "studies" to focus their attention on Ezlo.

"I'm not sure, but I believe I know what's wrong," he stated forcefully, although his voice seemed to be faltering a little. "The finer details still need to be worked out."

Link stood up and came to the table's edge. He looked down at Ezlo's notes, but of course, he couldn't make any sense of them.

Vaati's long ears perked up as he sat forward to read the notes as well. "Does it have anything to do with the fusion process?!" he excitedly asked. "That's what I was looking up."

Ezlo gently shook his head. "Not the process itself, but the ingredients _in _the process." He turned towards Link. "Link, you remember? The four energies' essences that we had to obtain—Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind?"

Link nodded. "How could I forget? They were fused into the Holy Sword in order to reestablish its magical properties."

Ezlo nodded again. "Yup. Those four elements are basically known as the suppliers of all magical energy. But, you see, there are other things besides earth, fire, water, and wind that hold magical energy. What are the other four sources, Vaati?"

"Um…" the apprentice trembled, fully aware that he was being given a pop quiz. "Darkness, light, and um…human appliances?"

Ezlo ticked the three off on his fingers. "Close enough," he decided. "Human appliances combine two of the four—metal and electricity." He wiggled four fingers in Vaati's face. "Four. Combined with the other four, that makes eight. Eight magical energy essences. Our new Holy Sword has only four."

Link's eyes widened. "You mean—the sword is only half-complete?! It's a wonder I was ever able to save Vaati with that!"

"Well, Vaati's own power was combining with yours on that," Ezlo explained. "He wanted to remove the Light Force from his body. If he had not wished for it, you would've killed him with that blow."

Both Link and Vaati shuddered at the memory. Vaati because he'd very nearly been taken over and possessed, and Link because he'd very nearly killed his new friend.

"In addition, the sword _is _more than halfway completed. The four other energy sources—Metal, Electricty, Darkness, and Light, are often called the 'Secondary Elements'. They're not as powerful sources as the original four. I would say the Sword is about 4/5 completed."

Vaati frowned a little. "But I used magic from darkness to…to do bad things. How come it's not as powerful?"

"It isn't as pure," Ezlo explained. "Darkness comes from the shadow of Light—and Light comes from Fire. All the power of darkness in the world can't stand up against the essences of the four original elements. You saw that."

"So even though the Secondary Elements aren't nearly as powerful as the Primaries, we have to find them and fuse them into the sword," Link decided. "Can we do that through the Elemental Sanctuary? How do we open the Elemental Sanctuary? Can we use that allowing essence stuff? Where are the Secondary Elements anyway?"

Ezlo took a deep breath. "That's step two," he stated. "I told you, I didn't have all the details worked out yet. I'm trying to answer those questions myself."

"But at least now we have a starting point!" Vaati happily decided. He sat up straight again and cleared his research area. "We can just study the magical essences themselves and try to find clues! That information wouldn't be in cryptic code. And you can go back and try to decode the part about the construction of the Elemental Sanctuary!" Vaati rolled up his long purple sleeves and pulled another book towards him, decidedly.

Ezlo smiled, brightened by the boy's sudden enthusiasm. "Yes. Yes, of course! We'll have all of those questions answered in no time!"

"Yeah!" Vaati agreed. He eagerly stretched out a scroll and slammed his book open to the first page. "I bet I can find my solution before you can!"

Ezlo cocked a joking eyebrow and stretched his own scroll out in imitation. "Oh? Is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is."

"Oh, you're _on_! No one beats the Great Ezlo at his own tricks!"

"No one except the one being trained to take his place."

Link stepped back into his little corner and stared in awkward awe. "My Goddesses…" he muttered to himself. "…They're getting all excited over doing _research_…" Just from the atmosphere around this teasing conversation, Link got the feeling that this wasn't the first time this had happened either.

He took a deep breath and turned back around. The smiling little face of two-year-old Vaati stared back at him from a flower petal. Regretfully, he closed the photo album again, placing it on the lowest shelf, where he'd found it. _I guess it's time to start cleaning up and preparing dinner…_

(-)

Later that night, Link once again found himself under the eerily soothing glow of the luminous mushroom. The whole downstairs workroom was dark. Link fumbled around for his conjured mattress and blanket set on the floor. But just when he was about to lie down for the night, he happened to glance up…and catch a sight of Vaati.

Ezlo had decided to actually sleep a bit tonight and had gone back up to his room. As such, Vaati had willingly volunteered to stay up all night in his place. It didn't seem to be working as well for him. Vaati's head was slumped over his workbench, and although he wasn't snoring, Link could tell that he was asleep. A little smile twitched onto his face. It was useless, he decided. Vaati could never stay awake for very long. Apparently, all his researching enthusiasm had run out.

For a moment, all he could do was stare at this creature. _This is Vaati's true form_, he reminded himself. _This is what Vaati really is. This is what he really looks like. _He'd been looking at pictures of his little picori body all day…and yet this fact still hadn't truly sunken in. And maybe that's why he'd been looking at those baby pictures all day. He wasn't thinking of Vaati now as just Vaati…he was "Picori Vaati" or "Vaati in picori form". Probably, as he'd stated earlier, because he was so used to seeing him as a human.

So Link took this opportunity, in the dim mushroom light, to study his true body and try to fit this fact into his brain. The most striking difference was, as Vaati had stated himself, the legs. His legs looked a little less squatty and chubby when they were bent, as they were now, slumping off the stool.

Link studied his bare feet next and noticed their grip and flexibility—almost like two more hands. He found himself wondering if picori were able to hang upside-down off a skinny bar by their feet. Then, he pictured Vaati hanging upside-down from the ceiling like a bat and nearly burst out in laughter.

He found the rest of his body very oddly shaped—a very thin neck, torso, and shoulder area, which widened in a triangular/conical shape to the waist. He could see Vaati complaining again because his stomach was wider than his shoulders. Weirdly enough, Link found himself wondering if picori had belly buttons.

Then, there were the arms—unusually long and thin with long, curving fingers. As Link remembered from the pictures, baby picori didn't really crawl—they used their arms to walk on. Again, Link thought, like monkeys. The picori could easily swing from trees if there were trees small enough.

And yet there were other features of Vaati's body that didn't resemble a monkey at all. The pointed nose, for example. The small, oval-shaped head, the entirely colored eyes, the longer ears. Maybe, Link thought, the picori were a tiny evolutionary gap. This is what monkeys became before they became humans.

…Nah. No way. That was all too deep and philosophical. Picori were just picori. A separate species derived from the existing ones now, like the Gorons and the Deku scrubs. To say that picori evolved into humans would be almost like saying that Gorons were humans who had evolved and adapted to their mountainous habitat. Picori are just picori.

Vaati is a picori. Vaati is a picori, was a picori, and forever will be a picori. Vaati was an albino picori. A rarity among rarities. He also had purple hair. For a moment, Link suddenly realized that it might be dyed or magically altered. He'd have to ask him sometime tomorrow. It actually might disappoint him to hear the truth. As he moved to study his hair, he noticed that it was actually a bit longer than it had been when he'd transformed back a year ago—it was almost brushing his shoulders now. Come to think of it, his hair had been longer as a human too—had almost reached to his waist.

It had been almost two years since the incident. Link was thirteen, and Vaati was… How old _was_ Vaati, anyway? Before, he had looked in his upper teens, about sixteen or seventeen, but as a picori and as a human before, he looked much younger—about Link's own age. He'd probably just used the power of the Minish Cap to make him appear older. Another thing to ask about tomorrow.

Additionally, Link suddenly realized, that little curled scar that had been beneath his left eye had completely disappeared. Maybe that had been a magical add-on too…to make him look tough. Now he had a _real_ scar—in the center of his chest. Link was sure that it would still be there on his picori body if he lifted his robe up.

Another chill passed down his spine. That's it—time to go to bed. No more thinking about narrow brushes with death. And with that, he finally pulled the blanket over himself and nestled onto his floor mattress. _Think happy thoughts_, he commanded himself. So he thought about the journey ahead.

(-)

The next morning very much resembled the previous one. Ezlo came down early and woke Vaati up, much to his panic and dismay. He ran around gathering materials and shouting, "How could I have fallen asleep?!" for the next two minutes. Then, to Link's disappointment, they simply began their research session all over again.

Ezlo plopped down at his section on the workbench and pulled out his scrolls. Apparently, he hadn't actually been sleeping all night, because his "notes" scroll looked longer. He was full of energy and cheer though, as Link soon found out after he'd been cheerily ordered to prepare breakfast again. He groaned, but still obliged.

It was a few more hours before he even got a chance to speak to Vaati. "…Um, Vaati?" he asked, and the purple picori glanced up from his work at him. "There are a few things I've been meaning to ask you…"

"Well?" Vaati prompted. "What are they?"

"Is your hair naturally purple?"

Vaati stared, not expecting this question at all.

"Do you have a belly button? Can you hang upside-down by your feet? How old are you anyway?!"

By the time this stream finished, his eyes were even wider. "Where did all _that_ come from?!"

"I…I was just wondering…" Link blushed. Vaati was right—those were very weird, personal questions.

The freaked-out little picori turned resolutely back around to face his work. "I don't have any time to explain the reasons and everything, so… Yes, yes, no, and thirteen."

Link blinked, trying to process the quick answers. "Um…no, you can't hang upside-down by your feet? Or no, you don't have a belly button?" Vaati didn't answer, and Link figured that was all he would say about the subject.

But _thirteen_?! That was the same age he was! That meant that last year he'd been twelve. Too young to even enter the sword-fighting tournament, much less win it. Vaati had to be the youngest person to ever win (even though he cheated). It was almost impossible to imagine that that confident teenager and that enormous evil creature had really been this same twelve-year-old boy.

"Oh wow!" Link couldn't help but cry out. "I'm thirteen too! We're the same age! Did you know that, Ezlo?"

Ezlo sighed, from the opposite side of the table. "Yes, yes, I knew that. Now, could you please be quiet? We're trying to research here."

"…Sorry," Link shrank disappointedly back into his corner. He'd just made a remarkable discovery! …But he'd have to wait first for the _real_ remarkable discoveries.

(-)

The next evening, Ezlo and Vaati called Link over to their table for the "unveiling". Master and student faced each other competitively. "Okay…" Vaati asked, "Who's going first?"

"You go first," Ezlo decided. "So I can prove you wrong."

Vaati rolled his eyes. "Sure. Well, anyway, I started with the Metal Element. My method was to examine areas both near elements of the Secondary Elements' origins and in areas of high concentration of the element."

Link squinted at the notes sheet Vaati was pointing at and tried to make sense of them, to no avail. He had to really squint and concentrate just to understand the verbal explanation.

"The metal energy naturally comes from the earth energy, so my first target was near Deepwood Shrine, where the Earth Element was located. However, the energy-dowsing experiment for Metal failed in that area. I thought next to try town as an area of high concentration, but I had forgotten the other source element, Fire."

A little smile appeared on Ezlo's nodding head at that statement.

"So I did the experiment for the location around the mine and came up with a hit. The Metal Element is located on Mt. Crenel."

"Good," Ezlo commented. "One down. Where are the rest?"

"Well, next, I moved on to the Electricity Element." Vaati pointed to another illegible grouping of Cucco scratch. "Since the electricity energy can come from several different elements, I decided to focus on the high concentration area first."

"And where _can _electricity come from?" Ezlo pressed.

"All of the primary sources," Vaati replied. "Well, at least really close to it. I know electrical energy can come from the earth, and it can also come from wind and water when channeled correctly. I'm not sure if it can come from fire too, but it probably can, because of the heat. Anyway, I first checked for areas of concentration and did the experiment with Hyrule Town because of the human appliances. I immediately got a hit there. So the Electricity Element is located in Hyrule Town."

"That's two," Ezlo once again began to count off his apprentice's accomplishments on his fingers. "What else?"

"Next was the Light Element." Here came another enormous section of Cucco scratch. "Easily enough, as you stated before, light comes from fire. I was going to try the experiment near the mine again, before I remembered that no more than two powerful essences can exist in the same place, otherwise they'd be a huge explosion, tearing the area apart. So I moved on to high concentration. I tried the falls first, since they seem to be closest to the sun, but no luck. Then I tried the experiment with the area above the falls and got a hit. So the Light Element is…somewhere up in the sky?"

Ezlo nodded. "In the village of the Wind."

Vaati blinked, confusedly. "Village of the Wind?"

"Yeah!" Link chimed in, delighted that he knew something that Vaati didn't. "They're people that live up above the clouds. They all wear reddish cloak things and have birds for pets, and they have mystical powers…"

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Ezlo's stern voice suddenly interrupted. "We'll go over this at another time. Continue, Vaati. We've got three now."

While Vaati's confused expression evaporated and he launched back into his proud explanation, Link only scowled. What was with Ezlo? Why'd he cut him off like that? He only used to cut him off before if there was danger ahead, or he was on the verge of revealing one of his secrets. Hmm…did Ezlo have something to do with the Wind Tribe? And how _would _he? He was a picori, many times smaller than them.

"Next was the Darkness Element," Vaati was going on. "Darkness comes from light, but I was unsure if the dynamic was different for a secondary source based off another secondary source. I didn't know if it was possible for two secondaries to exist in the same place. Instead, I tried the area of high concentration, which was the graveyard, and got a hit. So the Darkness Element is located in Royal Valley."

A big smile appeared on Ezlo's face as he lifted his fourth finger. "Yes," he affirmed. "It is impossible for two secondaries, or two primaries as well, to exist in the same area. Darkness is actually the weakest of the secondaries because it is derived from another secondary. Its powerful strength only comes because it gathers in very high concentrations. I'm impressed. I especially didn't think you'd find the Light Element, since it's not in an actual location. I imagine it must have taken a lot of time and energy to perform the essence-location experiment so many times."

Vaati beamed for a silent moment, then politely bowed his head. "Thank you, Master."

Ezlo frowned. "I told you to stop calling me 'master'. I'm not a slave driver, and I'm not just your teacher either."

Vaati frowned and nodded again. "Yes, Ma—uh, Ezlo."

"So this is great!" Link burst out, breaking up the tension-filled silence. "Now we know where to find all of the Secondary Elements, so we can go there and find them all and then…put them into the sword somehow."

Ezlo nodded. "That's where my portion comes in. From my own notes, the scrolls say that the Elemental Sanctuary was created in order to transfer magical essence into the receptive article a.k.a. the Holy Sword. However, I'm still unsure if this includes separately derived essences. That's going to take a while to calculate. I suggest you go out and recover the Secondary Elements first."

Link nodded, resolutely. "We will. Thank you."

Ezlo froze and turned back towards his apprentice as he was packing up his notes. "We?" he questioned. "You're going with him, Vaati?"

Vaati shuddered slightly. He'd forgotten that he hadn't even mentioned his decision to his master yet. "Um…yes, I am. I'm sorry I didn't ask you before deciding, but…"

Ezlo rolled his eyes. "You never ask me before deciding."

Vaati chuckled, loosening up a little. "Well, I see it as an opportunity to get well again. If I help Link save the world, everyone won't just think of me as an evil sorcerer anymore. At least, I hope…"

Ezlo sighed. "I see. Well…there's nothing I can do to stop you after you've got your heart set on something. Believe me—I've already tried."

Vaati's oval eyes popped wide open again. "B-but this is different! This is…"

"Of course it is." Ezlo reached out and rested a hand on his tiny shoulder. "I was joking. I think this is the best path for you too."

Vaati smiled, but still didn't really get the joke.

"Tomorrow, we'll see."

(-)

Tomorrow, instead of preparing for the growing process, Link found himself helping Ezlo label and organize potion bottles. All of them had weird picori names that he couldn't understand, but they looked interesting nevertheless. "What does this one do?" he asked, as he was placing a fuchsia-colored potion on a shelf above the back workbench.

"It keeps you warm, even when it's freezing cold outside," Ezlo explained, with a smile. The whole time, the boy had been asking questions like this, and his inquisitive mind entertained him. It reminded him a little bit of Vaati when he was younger. "What does _this_ do? And what does _that_ one do?"

"Wow, there's so many different potions that do all sorts of miraculous things." Link looked up at the multicolored array sitting in perfect arranged rows on their shelves. "I never knew there could be so many. The guy in Hyrule Town only had six bottles of this stuff called Picolyte…"

Ezlo nodded. "Those were the human-portioned bottles that humans make out of our potions if they find them. These potions here are so small that they wouldn't have any kind of effect if a human swallowed them. Unless he swallowed them all at once—he'd probably die."

Link's eyes were gleaming suspiciously as he studied the potion bottles. "Do you think we could take some of these with us? I know they'd only be able to be used when we're picori-sized, but…"

Ezlo frowned and admonished him, "No, I'm sorry. All of these potions are for our customers. Many picori, from all the regions, come to me to get some sort of magical remedy. We have several who need potions regularly in order to continue their lives. Most of the business we do is in potions."

Link looked a little bit disappointed, but nodded. "Nah, it's okay. That Picolyte stuff wasn't bad."

"Vaati can always brew some himself," Ezlo told him. "I'm having him work on his potion-making right now, actually. He needs the practice."

Indeed, when Link looked back over his shoulder, he saw Vaati in a corner of the workshop, mixing something up in what looked like a cauldron, but was actually a thimble. He bent low over it, concentrating. Obviously, potion-making wasn't his best magical subject. Link wondered if Vaati _would _be able to make his own. Oh well, it didn't make that much of a difference. They were already a lot better off than he was last year.

He began to turn back down to the bottle labels and their places on the three shelves, when a short, abrupt burst of a noise jarred him out of his concentration. _Ching-chingle-ing_! It sounded like wind chimes.

Suddenly, Vaati shot up, tore himself away from his thimble/cauldron, and took off running for the front door. "I'll get it!"

_That's their doorbell? _Link skeptically realized. _Well, makes sense. I don't have a doorbell either._

Vaati skidded to a halt just slightly in front of the door. He stared at it for a moment. "No, I lied!" He whirled back around and dove for the desks that Link was standing at.

Ezlo sighed. "It's probably just someone coming to pick up one of these potions."

"But they need to pick it up," Vaati whimpered. He was crouched behind the workbench, out of sight. "I don't want to scare them off."

Ezlo stepped up to the door, and Link suddenly felt an odd pull on his lower body. Vaati was yanking on the end of his tunic. "Get down!" he hissed.

"Why?" Link asked, though he crouched next to him in compliance. "I'm the hero—the customers won't be afraid of me."

"Yeah, but they'll wonder how you got here and _why_ you're here again. It's best if you stay hidden."

Link sighed. The two of them waited in perfect silence behind the furthest workbench as Ezlo chatted cheerily with a picori girl and handed her one of the potions from the shelf.

"You can't keep doing that forever," Ezlo scolded his apprentice after the girl was gone. "Sometime, I'm not going to be here, and you're going to have to answer the door and take care of the customers…"

Vaati and Link were crawling back up to their positions. "After I come back from saving the world," Vaati assured him. "Then I'll be able to do anything you want."

Ezlo's expression deepened. His long white eyebrows scrunched inwards. "Yes…" His head turned towards the back of the room and he looked straight into a familiar pair of clear blue eyes. "Link, I wanted to talk to you about that."

Those blue eyes widened a little. "Wh…What's the matter?"

Vaati placed a button/lid over his thimble/cauldron and turned around to listen in on their conversation.

"I need to make sure everything's safe for Vaati to go with you…"

_Oh, Geez…_ Vaati rolled his eyes. Ezlo had become a bit overprotective of him ever since he'd started having his attacks.

"It…it took me a long time to figure it out, and I should've realized it sooner. It was…a lot of it was my fault. Anyway, Vaati has a very weak heart, and it needs to be looked after at all times. I've been trying to work with him on strengthening it, but then something else happens, and it all falls to pieces again. You see, Vaati has these…these mental breakdowns every now and then…"

"I know about the attacks," Link interrupted. "It happened twice at my house. It's no problem. I'm going to try to work on strengthening his heart too." He turned and smiled at the purple picori over Ezlo's shoulder. "Don't worry—he's in good hands."

Vaati smiled at the acknowledgement. He'd been getting tired of being talked about like he wasn't in the room. "Yup," he agreed. "Link knows how to stop me from fainting. And I really want to go on the adventure with him, no matter what. I'll be fine as long as I'm with him."

When Vaati looked up again, he saw Ezlo standing over him with tears in his eyes. "Um…it's okay…" And that's all he got to say before he was enveloped in a long-robe-and-fluffy-white-beard hug. "…Mmmff!"

"I just…I'm sorry, but…" the old sage was almost unable to speak. "I was so happy after the battle. To have you back again…I thought I was going to have to kill you. I was certain you would be dead… Now, I have to send you back out to face danger…"

Vaati pulled his head out from inside Ezlo's beard and looked up at him with shiny red eyes.

"And then when you started with those attacks and other picori coming after you, I had to make sure they wouldn't just cause more attacks. That's when I realized how fragile you are. That's probably why you felt useless and inferior before—I probably hurt you unintentionally. Now, you have to go back out into the world, where the people of Hyrule will only hurt you more."

"Ezlo…" Vaati slowly reached up to give his master a hug back. "…Thank you. For…caring so much about me. But you don't have to worry so much. I'll be okay. Link will protect me—you know what an excellent fighter he is. And I'll get stronger too. I know I can when I'm with him. He makes me feel better. I'll come back safe and sound, I promise."

Ezlo finally pulled away and wiped a few last tears from his black oval eyes. "Yeah. I am too much of a worrywart. But I'm just afraid of losing you again." He heaved a heavy sigh. "Okay. You may go, as soon as you finish the potion." He whirled around to face Link. "And if anything happens to him, I'm going to kill you!"

"Don't worry," Link assured him. "I'd kill _myself_ before you could kill me."

Vaati smiled at them, feeling loved, then immediately resumed work on his potion with renewed vigor. "You'll see!" he optimistically called back to his master. "By the time I return, I'll be a powerful, renowned Hylian sorcerer who helped our hero save the world!"


	3. Bad Situations?

So I lied. Oh well. Good news for you! I'm not abandoning my other story, I just felt like writing this chapter instead. Plus, this story's more popular. And it's just more fun to write.

So what happens in this chapter? One word: onsen. I didn't intend for some of the things in this chapter to come up so early, but they just kind of popped out by themselves. I hope I'm not taking the romance too fast now. Link's still a long way from admitting, even to _himself_, that he likes Vaati, and Vaati's still blissfully unaware. I love how Link is like "OMG, he's half-naked!!!" while Vaati is just like "Meh. I'm half-naked. Whatever." Link's so cute and innocent.

I probably didn't do enough description of Hyrule Town. I just have the map from the game in my head and reference it all the time. I have a tendency to skip details about the landscape.

I forgot some of the names of the Minish Cap's enemies, so they're just "turtles under rocks" and "birds with masks". I know they have names, but I don't have their figurines. Aw, well. You'll probably know what I'm talking about better by saying "turtles under rocks" and "birds with masks".

If it seems like this chapter ends rather abruptly, that's because it's a sort-of cliffhanger. I'm just setting things up for the next chapter.

I have no idea when the next update will be. This time, I'll probably update my other story first, since next is the dungeon, and that's going to be a challenge to write. Plus, I've now got Twilight Princess to distract me. (The GCN version—Wiis have disappeared off the planet.) And school starting up again. Oh joy.

Link, Vaati, those two nameless kids, and everyone else belong to Nintendo/Capcom.

(-)

Chapter 3: Bad Situations?

The growing process turned out to be even more difficult than the shrinking process. First, Vaati had tried poking a hole through the gigantic light blue sheet, but Link kept stepping on it and pulling it off. Eventually, after several failed attempts to become artificially invisible, Vaati was forced to rip off a piece of cloth and tie it around Link's head as a blindfold.

Link almost died when he had to support a near-naked Vaati until he recovered enough strength. At least, he'd remembered to save his clothes and fold them up near the stump so he wouldn't have to conjure up some new ones. Besides, he wouldn't have been able to re-create the pants and boots from Smith. The clothes were a little damp and patched with dirt, but a quick rinsing cleaned them up.

Link sat up a makeshift campsite near the border to warm pieces of Cucco meat and vegetables and also dry Vaati's clothes over it. Vaati was lying near it under a thick black blanket Link had packed as he waited for his clothes to dry. Thank goodness _one _of them was property prepared.

They were beginning to discuss their proceedings over dinner. "The Electricity Element is closest to us," Link considered. "Hyrule Town. It's just over the wall."

"Yeah, but I have no idea where to look," Vaati admitted. "It could be anywhere in the entire town. I figured we'd go for the Metal Element first, because I'm positive that it's in the exact same mine the Fire Element was. It's really the only one I've got an exact location for."

"Alright," Link decided. "We'll head up Mt. Crenel. There's two ways to do this—we can go through town and head out through the upper gate, or we can go around the border and up through Tribly Highlands."

"I vote for Tribly Highlands," Vaati decided.

"But it would be a lot easier to go through town," Link tried to reason. "There are no monsters, and we could pick up some supplies and stuff on our way through."

"I can't just go waltzing in there!" Vaati cried, shocked that Link had forgotten his dilemma already. "The people will kill me! 'Oh, hey, hi there! It's the sorcerer that took over your world last year!' Sure. I can see the angry mob now…"

"Well, can't you change your appearance?"

Vaati's shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment. "Well, I can…but it would use up a lot of energy that I'd rather save for an emergency. If only I was a little stronger… Becoming invisible is much easier, but invisibility must be maintained. I wouldn't be able to remain invisible forever. I might be able to whip up a disguise by hand, though…paint myself peach, cut my hair…"

"_No_!" The word burst out of Link's mouth before he even stopped to think about it.

Vaati looked over at him with a slightly surprised expression.

"Er…" Link was slightly flustered and embarrassed. "Well…I was just concerned about you. It probably took a long time for you to grow your hair that long and…I don't want you sacrificing it for the mission."

Vaati chuckled at him. "It's no big deal…I'm magic, remember? I can grow it back in about two days!" He lied back and lifted a hand to his chin in consideration. "Well…I _could _just shrink myself again. That's probably the simplest solution. That way, only little kids would be able to see me. It's almost as good as being invisible. And you could keep me in a pocket or something, so even the little kids wouldn't see me! They probably wouldn't know who I was if they did, anyway. I'd just be a purple picori to them."

Link frowned. He remembered the shrinking process, and how painful it had been for Vaati. He could hear the picori's little screaming voice in his head. "No…you shouldn't do that unless you absolutely have to. It hurts you. I don't want to see you hurt."

Come to think of it, there had been a few incidents in Link's former adventure when Ezlo had had to shrink him very quickly in order to fight a monster or escape from one. He hoped nothing like that would happen on this quest. For a brief second, he imagined the two of them scrambling for a rock entrance, Vaati fumbling for a vial and throwing off his clothes as he ran… _No…please, don't ever let that happen… For my sake as much as his…_

"It only hurts for a minute," Vaati tried to argue. "It's really not that bad." He reached out to feel his clothes on the wire above the fire, and discovering them dry, wrapped his blanket around himself to stand up and pluck them off.

Link stared at him for a moment, and then, an idea popped into his head. "I know…you can wear that blanket. If you wrap it tight enough, no one will be able to see your face."

Vaati frowned down at him. "You could still see it at the right angle…"

"We won't stay for long," Link assured him. "I just need to buy a few things and then we'll just be passing through."

"As if you don't have enough stuff already." Vaati ducked behind a thicket of bushes while he changed. "How are you going to carry all this up the mountain?"

Link smiled up at him, mischievously. "I'm stronger than I look. Cucco?" He held a slab of meat out as Vaati settled back into his spot by the campfire. "It's done now—I can smell it."

The sorcerer frowned at it. "Erm…I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't eat meat."

Link fell silent as he looked back on their mealtimes together. That was true—he'd never eaten any meat. "Oh." He immediately withdrew the slab. "I never thought you'd be a vegetarian."

"Well, you know…we picori can talk to animals."

"So the Cuccos told you how much they hate being murdered, chopped up into little pieces, and eaten?" Link asked, half-jokingly.

Vaati shivered as he wondered how Link could say a think like that while smiling and chewing on a Cucco leg.

"Personally, I don't feel too bad for them. I almost got killed by a flock of Cuccos once."

Vaati crossed his arms. "I bet you deserved it."

"Nuh-uh!" Link protested, another sarcastic smile crossing his face. "All I did was blow one up by accident. It was an _accident_! And the little bugger wasn't even dead. Somehow, it survived being blown up…"

And so the two of them sat around the campfire for the rest of the night swapping stories until it grew too late and they had to douse the fire. Thankfully, Vaati was recovered enough to conjure up a blanket for himself and give the other one back to Link. And so, they spent the first night of their journey together, on the ground just outside Hyrule Town.

(-)

The sky was a hopeful, bright, pure blue that next morning. Link was packing up his supplies from last night as he smiled up at it. _Well_…he thought, _at least the weather is nice. _

Vaati had been constantly spouting concerns about their detour through town and trying to talk him out of it since the moment he'd woken up. Link had quickly decided to send him off to hunt in the grass for rupees. It would keep him distracted and keep Link from losing it. Unfortunately, as he was about to find out, it wouldn't work for much longer.

"_Waaaauugh_!!!"

Link immediately looked up from the roasting sticks he'd been about to stash away and turned towards the dreadful sound. "Oh great…I bet he ran into somebody or something…"

Sure enough, a little purple splotch began to materialize in the distance, and it gradually grew into a panic-stricken Vaati.

"What's the matter?" Link asked, almost tiredly.

Vaati looked into his face with wide, confused, frightened eyes. "W-While I was uprooting the grass this _creature _came up on my side! It…it looked like an octopus, but it was _walking_ on the _ground_! I tried to talk to it, but I couldn't obtain its language for some reason. Then, before I had a chance to try anything else, it shot a rock at me…from its _mouth_!!!"

Link couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Geez, you really are pathetic. What are you going to do when we have to go up against a monstrous dungeon boss?"

"Sorry…" Vaati whimpered back up at him. "So…what _was_ that?"

Link casually drew his sword and started forward. "That was an octorok. It's the weakest monster ever. You could've just kicked it, and it would've fallen over, dead."

"Well I didn't know it was a monster," Vaati argued. "I thought it was just some sort of weird alien animal and I didn't want to hurt it just because it looked different."

"Well, that's nice of you," Link considered. "But if you come across any other weird alien animals, most likely, they're monsters. You don't even remember what your own former evil minions look like?"

Vaati shook his head. "The monsters weren't under my orders. I didn't even know that opening that chest would release them. That was actually an accident."

"Well, whatever."

The round red octopus creature was skittering up towards them on its crab legs again. Its snout squished inward, preparing to spew out another internal rock. Sometimes, Link wondered where all those rocks came from, but he'd really rather not know. Lazily, he lifted his shield to let the rock bounce off it, and the little monster skittered off in another direction.

"Well, I told you…" Vaati continued from behind him. "I'm not much of a fighter. I warned you before you let me come with you…"

"I know you don't know how to fight yet," Link said, gritting his teeth with slight impatience. "But can't you at least shoot a magic beam or something at it?"

Vaati's eyes lit up. "Hey, yeah! Why didn't I think of that?! Stupid!!!"

Link rolled his eyes again, but couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "Behold the all-powerful evil sorcerer who almost conquered Hyrule!" He gripped his sword again and advanced towards the innocent little octorok.

"No!" Vaati interrupted, shooting an arm out to stop him. "Don't kill it!"

Link confusedly frowned down at the indigo sleeve against his chest. "Now you're going to feel sorry for it? I can't have you doing that either. It's fine to defend the Cuccos, but…"

"No…" An almost mischievous smile curled onto Vaati's face. "I want the practice."

Link looked back down and noticed a blue light beginning to emanate from the center of his palm. Gently, he stepped back, giving him plenty of room.

Vaati ran towards the octorok, releasing a blue beam of energy directly at its round backside. There was a brief squeak of alarm, and then the little creature burst into a cloud of blue smoke and disappeared. Vaati put his hands on his hips and smiled. "You're right—that was easy! I'm going to go find some more!"

Link gave him a quick grin before returning to his packing job. "Just be careful of the rocks. You don't have a shield like me…though you could probably just put up a defense barrier or something…"

_Squeak_!!! _Poof_! "Hey, wow, look! That one had a rupee inside it!" He hadn't heard a word of Link's warnings. Ah, well…

For the next five or so minutes, Link packed up the campfire sticks and counted out his current stash of rupees. Then, he cleared the area of leftover ashes and other little signs of their presence. Every now and then, in the distance, he would hear exclamations of "We're rich!" or "Ohmygoddesses, it's the _essence of life_!!!"

Link sat down on a large rock when he had finished cleaning up. "Geez…" he muttered. "Isn't he done hunting octoroks yet?"

Just then, Vaati zipped up to his side, bouncing to a stop with an exuberant smile spreading across his face. "Did you _see_ that?! It was _great_! I killed _three _of them at once! I really _can _fight!!! I can't wait until we…!"

"Um…" Link interrupted, slightly concerned. "It probably would have been better for you to save that energy. We're going into town, remember?"

Immediately, Vaati's whole demeanor transformed. His smile wilted into a somber pout, and the rest of his body slumped down as if a heavy pack had just been dropped onto his shoulders. "Oh…" Even his head turned down when he began to make a reply. "I forgot… We really have to go, huh?"

"Yeah…" Link hated disappointing him like this, but there were a few things he'd planned on getting in town for Vaati's own benefit. Vaati would have to put up with it, but he'd be grateful in the end, he'd decided. "Here, I left your blanket out. How many rupees did you pick up?"

"Eight."

"Okay, hand them over."

Link had agreed that morning to let Vaati keep any rupees he found for himself, to which Vaati had replied that he wouldn't be able to buy anything anyway, so he may as well give his rupees to him. Well, it was okay, Link decided, since two of the things he was buying were for Vaati anyway.

"No, that's not tight enough…here, let me help you." Link helped wind Vaati up in the blanket and promptly create a hood that concealed most of his face. His hair concealed the rest of it.

"Cam oo fwee me?" he asked, in a little muffled voice.

"Just your legs and feet," Link replied. "Which should be no problem, because they're different. People remember you as wearing red sandals and shorts. Oh…and I can see a little bit of your hair when I look underneath."

"Well we meedta pwange that! How memmy people ave pwupple air?!"

Link sighed. "It's no use—if I wind that blanket any tighter, you'd _really_ look suspicious. You need to be able to see where you're going too… _Can _you see where you're going?!"

The top of the blanket twisted back and forth, its hood flopping to either side with the motion.

"Hmm…maybe if I cut a little hole in the side where your eye is…"

"Mo! Ben bey'd fwee my wed eye! How memmy people ave wed eyes?!"

Several minutes later, Link finally figured out a solution. He ended up cutting the peep-hole after all, while Vaati took the blanket back off, and conjured up some sunglasses to wear underneath. After they put his blanket back on, he was finally satisfied and delighted, thinking he looked perfectly inconspicuous. Link just thought he looked ridiculous.

Then, finally, they headed together towards the entrance gate. Though the guard on duty there gave the wrapped-up Vaati a few suspicious glances, he let them pass without incident. Link could practically see the incognito sorcerer trembling with anxiety.

"Just relax," he whispered over to him where he thought his ear was. "People will notice you less if you just act casual." It really made no difference, because the people would still stare, but he had to find some way to comfort him. How could you _not _stare at a person huddled underneath a blanket as if he was in the middle of a snowstorm in this bright, sunny weather?

The town wasn't particularly bustling, but gaggles of women were out shopping, and kids excitedly chased each other through alleyways. As usual, merchants were set up in the town square on carpets or behind small booths, while houses and shops formed a rim around them.

Link paused for a moment at the town entrance, just underneath the bridge overhanging, and Vaati kept close to his side. Okay…now, where would that stuff be? Ah, the fruits and vegetables merchants. He should go get that first and then try to figure out where to find the rest. "C'mon," he said, pulling Vaati along towards the market square. It'll be okay. I just need to pick up some food here; then we'll be on our way."

The living blanket was, of course, extremely reluctant, but had no choice but to follow Link's tugs.

Slowly, they made their way past curious groups of gossipers and rushing streams of children and cuccos. Thankfully, there was a center path to follow.

While Link casually walked up and ordered a bag of fruit and a package of vegetables, Vaati looked around uneasily and listened to the crowds. Though the voices of the townspeople just sounded like a roar of indiscernible babble, he was able to pick a few snatches of conversation out.

"…what's the hero doing…?"

"…trust him…"

"…ever since what happened last year…"

"…what would he say…?"

"…I heard those monsters are back…"

"…man in a black robe…"

A terrible ripple of shock shot through Vaati's body and his heart began to pound. That was right—this blanket was colored _black_! The people had no idea who he was, but they thought he might be the "man in a black robe" from the king's premonition! This was a bad, bad idea…

"What's the matter?!" Link hissed at him after he'd packed away his rations and the two of them were beginning to walk away from the merchant back towards the front gate. "Nothing's happening! No one suspects a thing! There's no reason to panic!" Obviously, he hadn't stopped to listen to the gossip.

Vaati took a deep breath and tried to contain his shivering as they approached a building with an odd green-jeweled roof. Relax…they were probably too afraid to approach him, anyway.

"Hi there, Link!!!"

Vaati's eyes widened behind his sunglasses behind his hood. Two children—a boy with sandy hair and a girl with a brown ponytail—were standing in front of them, looking up at Link with round, puzzled faces. Children…he hated children…

"Hey!" Link replied, smiling back down at them. "How's your day off?"

"Great!" the girl cried. "But how come you missed last week of school? Were you sick?"

"Erm…" Link flushed a little bit. "Could you tell the teacher I'm on save-the-world leave again? I forgot to send the notice in…"

"Aw…" the boy complained, crossing his arms. "It's not fair! _I_ want to go on save-the-world leave too!"

"Now…" the girl tried to calm her friend. "Remember, Link is the legendary hero who saved us all from that bad man who released all the monsters, remember? And he's only in our class because he missed an entire year of school and had to stay back!"

Slowly, Link took a deep breath and tried to unclench his shaking fists. For a moment, he was actually glad Vaati was so afraid. Otherwise, he would've been snickering.

"So who's that thing with you?" the boy impatiently asked. Great. They wanted to know about Vaati. He'd have to make up something quick.

"Uh…well…this is…my cousin! Yeah! He's staying with me right now, to help out around the house while I'm on save-the-world leave."

"Why's he got that big black thing over him?"

"Well…you see…he's got this really awful skin disease, and he has to stay hidden from the sun! See, look!"

Vaati nearly screamed when Link plunged a hand into his blanket and grabbed him by the wrist. He went into another shivering spasm as he held his hand out for the kids to see. Their large eyes widened to fill up their round little heads.

"Ewww, you're right!" the boy exclaimed. "It's all pasty and purplish!"

"Hey, that's not nice!" the girl scolded him. "What if you had a skin disease like that? Huh? You wouldn't want people saying that to _you_!"

The boy's head lowered in shame. "Um…sorry, Link's cousin."

Link's grip finally loosened, and Vaati immediately yanked his hand back in as if to say "what did you think you were doing?!"

"So y-yeah…we've got to get going." Link, a bit startled by the sudden force, made a feeble attempt at getting the kids to leave. "We've got some shopping to do at Stockwell's. And you two better not go any farther—Hyrule field is teeming with monsters again."

"But you're going to get rid of them all, right Link?!" the pony-tailed girl looked up at him with stars in her eyes. "You're going to save us all again!"

"Aw, man, that's so cool!" the boy added. "And no fair!!!'

Great…how was he ever going to get them to leave them alone? Quickly, Link retreated into his mind and tried to cook up an effective plan. He looked up suddenly and put a hand to one pointy ear. "What's that noise? It's kinda familiar… Is that the Lon Lon ice cream wagon?"

The two kids looked at each other. "The Lon Lon ice cream wagon?!" they cried in unison and suddenly went dashing off towards the north end of town. "We'll be back in a moment, Link!" the girl called over her shoulder.

Link only chuckled mischievously. "Brilliant. Just brilliant. Okay, c'mon, Va…um, cousin with the skin disease."

Though Vaati said nothing and it was impossible to see his face under the disguise, he could clearly picture his expression, glowering over at him.

"Sorry I had to do that. But it was for your own good, after all!" Link stopped outside the front door to Stockwell's shop—a small building with a blue roof topped with large green models of what looked like rupees. "I just need to buy a few things in here. I'll be really quick—I think it'd be better if you just stayed outside right here."

Vaati stared at him with a blank cloth face.

"Don't give me that look," Link admonished. "Five minutes. That's all I need. Just stay right here and don't move. And if anyone approaches you, just act like a scary phantom. Got it?"

The hood of fabric nodded, then complacently turned away.

"Good cousin with the skin disease." Link disappeared into the shop with a jingle of the door's customer-alert bell.

Vaati stared at the opposite building and tried to ignore him. If his disguise had allowed him to cross his arms, he would have. Skin disease…pah. And just a little while ago, Link had told him that his skin was beautiful. Which was it?!

Vaati tried to gore a hole through the brick wall of the building with his eyes, and if he hadn't restrained himself at the last minute, he probably would have.

He blinked and got a better look at the building. It looked like some kind of restaurant or café. People sat outside on round stools around wooden tables, chatting while they drank their coffee and nibbled on little pastries. A few people were glancing over at him, probably spreading the local rumor about the man in a black robe. A few looked a bit angry, probably having had a bad day at work, but the majority of the people were in a generally jolly mood. He watched one group cluster over the table, and then burst out laughing. Two teenage boys were arm-wrestling across one of the tables. A few stray dogs and cats hovered around them, hoping to get a dropped scrap of food. Nearby, closer to the marketplace, a very young girl, just learning to walk, was attempting to chase a butterfly. Her parents behind her gave her an encouraging smile every time she fell.

Vaati was awestruck. He'd been to this town before…he'd been during the Picori Festival, when there were even more people milling around…why hadn't he seen it like this? This place was…so full of life. Sure, he could feel the unhappiness of the downtrodden workers, and a few waves of the unpleasant from dark alleys, but he'd never noticed all this…love. Cheery merchants' love for their jobs, pets' love for their masters, friends' love for each other, and parents' love for their children. The world had been transformed before his eyes. And to think now that he'd once thought all Hylians were hateful and selfish. How…? Why…?

A mist began to roll in from the clouds above. It slowly diffused through the town, curling around each of the villagers. It passed straight in front of their faces—sometimes even through their bodies—yet they didn't even seem to notice.

_Where did all this mist come from? _Vaati wondered, looking up at it. _It just appeared out of nowhere. Ah, well, no one seems to mind. Maybe this will help me, so they notice me less. It's harder to see in all this cloudy vapor. _

But then, the mist began to change. Once it had spread to every corner of the town, it suddenly took on a glittering sheen. Colors were beginning to form out of it as it pushed and pressed together.

Just then, the two children from earlier came running back to Vaati's side, through the morphing mist. Their mouths flapped, but no sound was coming out of them.

_What's wrong?! _Vaati tried to ask them. _Did you lose your voices?!_ He could hear his own voice, but apparently, the children couldn't. They looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

The mist had almost completed its formation now. Colored streaks of lighted particles shimmered and wound their way around the people. They covered everything—everything except the people themselves and the ground.

Vaati looked back and reached out to feel the wall behind him. It wasn't there. The town seemed to be twisting and warping into some alternate dimension of lighted black-and-purple swirls. And no one noticed.

The café customers continued drinking their invisible cups of coffee and joking with each other. The tiny little girl continued watching her invisible butterfly friend. Didn't they know they were in danger?!

Vaati thought he should warn them. Sure, that meant he'd have to expose his identity, but he had to! Or else they'd all be engulfed in this ever-expanding swirl of darkness!

Just as he was about to yank off his blanket and issue the warning, the swirl to his right began to darken and push together to form a shape. The swirling colors began to congregate. Purples lightened and twirled together to form reds. Then reds branched off and melded together to form whites and yellows. The remaining purples and blacks pushed together and molded themselves to fit the shape.

Vaati felt his body freeze, although his heart was still twitching in his chest. That thing…that thing…was _right behind the two kids_!!! It effortlessly glided closer…and closer. It began to extend its long claw arm.

"_NO_!" This time, Vaati was sure the kids heard him, because they both jumped back with startled faces. No! No matter what, he wouldn't let it hurt them!!! And without another thought about the matter, he dove towards them, wrapping his arms and his blanket around their little shivering bodies and curling himself out towards the claw. He would protect them. They would live through this—even if he had to sacrifice his own life in the process!

(-)

"Okay! All done!" Link stepped out of Stockwell's shop with a smile stretching across his face. He'd been able to find everything he'd been looking for. Of course, he only had five rupees left, but so what? They'd find tons more on their way up Mt. Crenel. He clutched a long object wrapped in a red cloth in his outstretched arms. "See, now that wasn't so bad…"

Link found himself talking to nobody. "Vaati?" he questioned.

"GYAAAAAH!!!" came the answer.

Link froze with shock and almost dropped his package when he turned towards the source of the scream. It wasn't a person screaming—it was the combined scream of about six. Vaati was screaming and clutching the two children he'd talked to earlier. The two children were screaming and trying to get away from him. The children's parents were screaming and running towards Vaati was upraised frying pans and baseball bats.

"GYAAAAAAH!" Link added his scream to the chorus at the sight of it all.

Finally, he broke into a sprint towards Vaati. Decidedly, he speeded towards him, hoping to make it to him before the angry parents. He made it just in time. He yanked Vaati by the collar of his blanket-disguise and nearly pulled the whole thing off. The children got a nice view of his tunic before Link could run away with him. In this case, it was a good thing that Vaati was so skinny and light.

The entranced sorcerer screamed again and thrashed his arms and legs, trying to get Link to let go. He even managed to punch him in the jaw before he got far enough away from the parents to stop and calm him down.

Link pulled Vaati into a side alley and slammed him up against the wall of someone's house, throwing his hood off. He ripped the sunglasses off his face and stared into his eye. "Vaati! It's Link! Snap out of it!"

The clouded red eye slowly faded back into a pooling glow. It blinked. "Link? What happened? …No, don't tell me…"

Link exhaled, testily. "Yes. You had an attack in front of all the people at the café. You were doing something to those two kids we met before."

"I-I was trying to protect them!" Vaati insisted. "This…this _thing_ appeared, and it was attacking them, and… There was really nothing there, wasn't there?"

Link nodded, grimly.

Vaati's eyes widened when his head turned down. "Are you okay? Where'd you get that big red mark on your chin?"

Link rolled his eyes. "You punched me in the jaw. Though you probably didn't know it was me you were punching."

Vaati froze and his eyes widened even more, remembering when he had punched the monster's pincher arm. "Ah…uh…ohmygoddesses, I'm so sorry! Here, I…I'll heal it for you…"

Link only grabbed his wrist when he reached out a hand towards his cheek. "There's no time for that," he hissed back to him. "We've got to get out of here, now! The townspeople didn't see you and recognize you, but this is almost as bad. There are parents and sympathizers after you for touching the children. They thought you were trying to kidnap them or hurt them."

Vaati's ears drooped and he looked down at the dirt ground. "I knew this was a bad idea…" Just as the words died away, the sounds of a raving, angry crowd began to rumble and roar in the distance.

Link quickly pulled something out of his pack, shoved something else into it, and pulled the first something onto his feet. It was a pair of brown boots with little white wings on either side. The Pegasus Boots. He snatched up Vaati's hand again and gripped it so tightly that he thought his fingers might fall off. "Give me your other hand," Link instructed, reaching backwards, so both his arms were spread out like the wings of an eagle.

"Okay…" Vaati grabbed his other hand, having it almost crushed again. "But what is all this for?"

"Just hold on _tight_," Link warned. "I've never done this before with another person…"

"Um…is this going to be danger-_ouuuuuuuuuuss_!" Before Vaati even had a chance to finish his sentence, Link took off like a speeding bullet. The mob of angry parents, five yards behind them, turned their direction and began to follow them. However, they were no match for Link with the Pegasus Boots.

The little hero was moving so fast that Vaati began to lift off the ground and fly through the air behind him like a kite. His blanket immediately began to slip off him, but he chomped down hard on one section of it. Now, he just had to pray it didn't tear.

Link zoomed past the merchants' square, up the stairs past Hyrule Bell, and then turned towards the western border just in time. _Zoom_! There went the library and the post office. The border entrance to Tribly Highlands was rapidly approaching. The poor Hyrule border guard never even knew what hit him.

Once they were out of sight of the unconscious guard, Link began to slow down to a sprint, then a trot.

"Oof!" Vaati crashed back to the ground, falling face-first into the dirt and bruising his chin. "Okay," he moaned. "We're even."

Link finally slowed to a complete stop and helped Vaati back up.

"Phew." The sorcerer rubbed his own jaw and looked around. "We're out of town now."

Link sighed as he replaced his Pegasus Boots with his regular boots. He looked back up at Vaati with a slightly disappointed expression. "Geez…I can't leave you alone for two minutes…"

Vaati's exhilarated smile fell back into a droopy-eared frown. "I'm sorry…I didn't know…I can't… This is all my fault…"

"I know," Link smiled, somberly, trying to get him to cheer up a little. "It's not your fault. You can't control when it happens, and you don't yet know how to stop it from happening. This just tells me how much work I have yet to do. I have to start training you to break out of your attacks immediately."

Vaati still didn't look cheered up. "I'm sorry…I knew this was going to be a problem for you. That was the first time I ever hurt somebody during an attack…"

The little grim smile on Link's face widened just a bit. "Actually…I think that's a good thing. You're learning to fight back. You didn't let the monster get you and pass out. Now, you need to learn how to fight back with your _mind_ instead of your _body_."

Vaati set his mouth in a grim line across his face. "With my _mind_?! How am I supposed to do _that_?!"

"I'm going to teach you," Link resolutely informed him. He reached down to stuff the Pegasus Boots back in his pack, but found it too full to fit anything else inside. "Oh!" he suddenly realized. "I completely forgot about this!" The long object wrapped in red cloth rested in his hands again, and he held it out towards Vaati. "This is for you."

The sorcerer's one visible eye widened. "I…I can't accept this… I didn't expect you to buy me a present. And I went and did all that terrible stuff to you… Whatever it is, I don't deserve it. I don't deserve anything after that…"

Link groaned, loudly. Now, he was beginning to see how Ezlo felt. "Just take it, will you? I only bought it for you because you'd never get it for yourself. And you _need_ it if you're going to survive our little adventure."

Vaati shivered and frowned when he reached out to receive the bundle. Carefully, he unfolded the red cloth and stared in amazement down at the item. "A…sword?" He dropped the cloth and held the sword out. Carefully, he pulled it out of its sheath and lifted it, testing its weight. It was much lighter than the one he had practiced with, and a bit smaller as well.

"I bought it at the shop," Link explained. "It's not nearly as sharp or as sturdy as the ones my grandfather makes, but it was small and light, so I figured it was a good one for you. At least until you practice some more and get better at sword-fighting. Plus, it came with its own sheath."

"Wow…" Vaati stared at the blade and gently ran a finger down it. "Thank you…it's wonderful. And I can actually swing it around without hurting my arm!" He turned and attached the sheath firmly around his waist.

"Er…I usually keep mine on my back, but wherever you want to keep it is fine," Link told him.

Vaati's eyes suddenly sparkled with new enthusiasm. "Oooh! I want to go try cutting up grass like you do! Where's some grass? Oh, there it is!!!"

"Wait!" Link called, stopping the excited sorcerer before he could get distracted and go on another grass-and-octorok hunt. "You didn't even look at your other item."

Vaati turned back around with wide, almost fearful eyes. "Don't tell me you have _more_ gifts for me? This was definitely enough! I wouldn't even…"

Link swiftly scooped up the dropped red cloth, scrunched it into a ball, and threw it at him.

Vaati quickly put his sword away and snatched it out of the air when it came close to him. He stretched it out in his hands and stared at it with pure confusion. "This red fabric? Oh, thanks! I can make clothes out of this, right?"

Link shook his head. "Keep looking."

Vaati's puzzled expression only deepened, and a secretive smile twirled across Link's face.

He turned the cloth over again and spread it out a little more. At last, he noticed something and brought it closer to examine it. "A…collar? What the heck _is_ it? It's a piece of cloth with a collar…" Finally, Vaati grabbed it and held it up by the collar. His curious expression was replaced by a grim frown. "It's…a cloak."

"Yup." Link obviously hadn't noticed his disappointment. "I find it strange that you don't have your cape-thing anymore, so I got this as a replacement. It'll keep you warm at night. I've got my own blanket, so why not? You can use it as a blanket when you're not wearing it."

"…That would be all the time," Vaati spoke up, almost under his breath.

"What?" Link innocently asked.

"I…I'm not wearing this." Vaati folded the cloak back up and handed it back to Link, neatly. "I won't. Having a sword is one thing, but…"

"Why not?!" Link blatantly challenged. "You need _something_ to keep you warm. It's bad enough you're not wearing a hat…"

"Because wearing this thing is almost as bad as wearing a hat!" Vaati shivered and tried to shove the cloak further into Link's chest. "Please…please take it back…"

Link heaved a heavy sigh. "You have no idea how cold it gets on Mt. Crenel at night…especially up near the summit where we have to go. I should think you'd be able to put up with the slight awkwardness just while we're here. You won't wear a hat, and now you're refusing to wear a cloak…do you want to freeze to death?! Is that it?! Are you trying to commit suicide again?! I'm _not_ going to let you! _Never_, EVER do that again!!! _You hear me_?!"

Link took a deep breath. He hadn't noticed how loud he'd been yelling, or how much his heart was pounding. His face was even slightly flushed.

Vaati's face, on the other hand, just seemed to get paler. He looked stricken with fright. His mouth dropped open slightly and the tiny squeak of a syllable escaped from it. "Ah…ah…I…I'm sorry…"

Link exhaled, frustratingly. Why'd he have to do that? He shouldn't have yelled at Vaati like that. Now he was going to be afraid of him. Why couldn't he understand? He'd have to try to explain in the simplest terms.

"_I'm _sorry," he began. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I…I just worry about you…a lot. So, please, if you want to help me…don't make me worry like this."

Slowly, the color returned to Vaati's face, and he melted into a tiny smile of understanding. "Oh…th-thank you. You're just like Ezlo. He always yells at me when I'm being stubborn and he's really concerned about me too." Vaati slowly lifted the cloak and squeezed it over his head, pulling his long hair out afterwards. "I'll try not to let it bother me. Besides, it's red instead of blue, so maybe that'll help."

Link smiled back at his willingness. He was trying. He was going to keep trying, and that made him feel a little more at ease. He stepped closer and playfully ruffled the hair on the top of Vaati's head, which was already a bit frazzled from being windblown and rubbed against a hood.

"Hey!" he lightheartedly complained. "I was just going to fix that!"

Link just chuckled, in a much better mood now. "C'mon. We need to get started climbing that mountain. And weren't you going to cut up some grass?"

"Oh yeah, the grass!" That cheerful, excited light flickered back into Vaati's eyes. "I'll try cutting all the grass we find on our way! I bet they'll be rupees and bombs and stuff in it! I remember the forest picori are supposed to go hide it for humans to find when they cut up grass! I wonder if I'll find that essence of life again!"

Link couldn't stop smiling as he listened to his chatter. If only the whole journey could be just like this…

(-)

In the next five minutes, Vaati had his first encounter with a keaton and a tektite. Needless to say, it was a good thing he'd been able to find and preserve all those hearts in the grass. He ended up having to heal himself about four times, and healed the bruise on Link's jaw in the process.

Once they reached the first level of the mountain, Link kept his sword out at all times. "Stay away from the rocks," he warned Vaati. "Sometimes there are little turtle creatures hiding under them and they'll charge at you if you get too close."

Vaati nervously clutched his own sword and wished he had a shield like Link to defend himself. He should probably just put up a magical defense barrier, but he was already feeling pretty tired from all the healing and training he'd gone through.

Before beginning to ascend Mt. Crenel, Link had taken him to a safe little cave previously owned by a merchant Deku scrub to give him some further sword training. Though it was a long and grueling session, Vaati had learned the two basic horizontal and vertical slashes by the end of it and now felt a little more confident when confronting an enemy. But then Link had insisted on beginning his "mind training"…

(-)

"Okay," Link decided, sheathing his sword onto his back with finality. "Now we move on to part two."

"Part…two?" Vaati was panting slightly, but he put his sword away as well and tried to stand up straight and strong. "Why are we putting away our swords then?"

"Part two of your overall training," Link clarified. "Sword training is just part one."

Vaati only looked even more nervous.

"You need to strengthen your mind, remember? So you can fight back against your attacks."

"Oh, yeah…" Vaati awkwardly turned his eyes down towards the cave's dusty floor. "I've got to fight back with my mind… I wonder if that's anything like working magic?"

"Well, I have no idea if it's like magic, because I'm not magical," Link explained. "But I think I know what you need to do. First, I need to know exactly what happens in each of your attacks. I know you told me before what they're basically about, but I need a description exactly how you see it."

"Uh, well…that last one was different from the others," Vaati awkwardly admitted. "I've never had one like that before. Probably because I was in Hyrule Town and that made me think differently…"

"Let's just focus on your two most common ones," Link decided. "That way, we can figure out a basic strategy for all of them. Okay…now, what happens in the first one?"

Vaati immediately looked away from him and his eyebrows arched upwards with anxiety. "Um…you're not going to like it. It's…really bad…for you…I'm sorry…I don't…"

"Just tell it to me," Link insisted. "I know, this is the one where I'm a bad guy, right?"

Vaati solemnly nodded. "It starts out that I'm just walking through the forest, but then there's this loud crashing noise. I look up, and you're there, but you're enormous and you're glaring down at me with pure hatred. Sometimes I don't notice this and try to greet you, but you just yell at me. You say something like, "You got away, you rotten little rat, but this time I'm going to kill you!" Then I say something like, "But…but I thought you forgave me in the end. Remember? I turned back into a picori because you were willing to forgive me." Then you start yelling something like, "I don't know what you're talking about. I never agreed to give you forgiveness. I'll _never_ forgive you for what you did to Zelda and to the entire world! Die, evil monster!" Then you pull out your giant sword and throw it at me, or you lift up a foot and try to stomp on me. And if you hit me, that's when I faint. Only I think I'm dead. Until I wake up, that is. But there are some variations on it. Once I was in the castle gardens with Ezlo, and he asked for my forgiveness, but you refused and killed me. Once Princess Zelda was there too, screaming accusations from behind you. That was when I was staying at your house, remember?"

Link briefly remembered the first time he'd witnessed one of Vaati's attacks. It had been the one he was talking about. "Well…" he considered after a short thinking pause. "This one should be simple to solve."

Vaati gulped, skeptically. "Really? You might think so, but you're not the one being killed."

"Just look at me," Link simply instructed. "Stare at me for a while and burn me into your mind."

Vaati slowly lifted his head and tried to look at him, but he was still too ashamed.

"Come on—look into my eyes. You have to remember the past couple of weeks and never let yourself forget what happened. I'm not really that cold-hearted giant, am I? Just think of how much I've helped you and how our friendship has grown. We're good friends. I'd never do a thing like that to you."

"I know…" Vaati began to reply, but Link chopped him off.

"No. You don't know. If your subconscious is still pulling up that image, you still don't really _know_. We need to make it so that whenever you think of Link, you think of me. You know that I forgave you, but there's a certain tiny droplet of doubt left in you that thinks I might not actually have forgiven you in my heart."

"I…I don't doubt you," Vaati immediately tried to deny, a panicked expression twisting his face.

"No, I'm not blaming you. It's okay. I'm just stating it as a fact. You _do_ doubt me, whether you're even aware of it or not."

After several monotone repetitions of the simple statements he'd uttered before, Link ordered Vaati to run a "test practice." "Okay…now you know what to do… Start an attack now and see if you can break out of it."

Vaati's brow scrunched. "I can't 'start an attack'. I don't choose when and where they happen—they just happen whenever they will."

"That's what you think," Link cryptically stated. "Just think of what happens, and imagine it…then, after it starts, switch your thinking."

"Think about what happens…?" Vaati stared into Link's face, but all he saw was the same smiling, mild hero. In the attack, he tried to kill him…he hated him…he loathed him…he would never forgive him.

_What happens…that's what happens. That's what always happens. _

Suddenly, the expression on Link's face changed. He wasn't happy anymore.

"Okay!" a little smile appeared across Link's face when Vaati's red eye froze over and fixated on him. He'd just proved one of his theories—that Vaati _did_ control his own attacks. "Can you still hear me?! I'm right here—it's Link! Now you've just got to follow my instructions!"

"Wh-What instructions?" Well, at least Vaati could still speak and communicate with him, but he'd apparently forgotten what he was supposed to do now.

"Look at me! Think about what _really_ happened! You know I'm really a nice guy! I don't want to kill you!"

Link grimaced and took one intimidating step forward. "Look at me!" he commanded. "Think about what _really _happened! You know I never really forgave you. I still want to kill you!"

Vaati's eyes widened a little further. Yes, excellent! Maybe he was starting to remember now!

"I…I…I know…" he began to say. "I guess…I deserve it."

Link confusedly stared back at him. "Deserve what? Not being killed? Of course you deserve that! C'mon, Vaati…you're my friend…I care about you…remember?"

"Deserve it? Being killed, you mean? Of course you deserve that! Sorcerer Vaati…the evil, one-eyed monster…I completely despise you…who wouldn't?"

"So…" Vaati's body was beginning to tremble—not a good sign. "Why don't you just hurry up and kill me?"

"I'm not going to kill you!" Link cried in desperation. "I would _never_ even _think_ about killing you! You've got to break out, Vaati!" He ran towards him, just in case something went wrong and he had to force him out of the attack himself. Though it strained him to watch Vaati going through all this, he had to step back and give him the chance to figure out how to stop it himself.

Link suddenly broke into a sprint towards him, threateningly. His voice was raised and final this time. He yanked his sword out in the process and aimed it straight for Vaati's chest. "I _am _going to kill you! I would _never _even _think_ about letting you get away this time! So, now…say farewell, Vaati!"

"_Aaaaaaaugh_!" Screaming was _definitely _not a good sign.

Finally, Link couldn't take it anymore and reached out to grab him and anchor him back into reality.

Vaati's weakened body shuddered the instant Link's fingers made contact. He fell forwards into his arms. When he blinked again, his eyes were back to normal, though his poor heart was still pounding. "Ah…L-Link…you didn't…you saved me." Then, a moment later, he realized what had happened. "I…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…I don't know why…I know you'd never do that to me…I just…I'm afraid…"

Link clutched the stricken sorcerer tightly and eventually, his shuddering eased away. At least he didn't cry, as he suspected he might.

"_I'm_ sorry," Link replied, giving Vaati's head a quick stroke before pulling away. "I shouldn't have made you do that so soon. You weren't ready for it yet. We'll take it much slower from now on."

"Thank you," Vaati forced a smile from his lips. "I don't want to go through that again tomorrow."

"At least this proves one thing," Link optimistically informed him. "You can control you attacks. That one was self-induced. You can make them happen. Now you just need to figure out how to _not _make them happen."

"Yeah," Vaati disappointedly replied. "That's the hard part."

"Well, you're trying," Link optimistically told him as he gently led him back out of the cave. "You're improving too, especially with the sword. It can only get better from here!"

(-)

So, needless to say, Vaati was exhausted after those experiences, and helping fight off a hoard of tektites on the first mountain level. As soon as Link blasted open the next opening in the cliff face, he let his feelings be heard. "Uh, can we stop here for the night? I'm kinda tired…I'm starting to run out of magic."

"Already?" Link was a bit surprised. Vaati hadn't used _that_ much magic—just to heal both of them, make a few vines grow, and shield him from a surprise turtle ambush. Having that attack must have taken more out of him than he'd realized. "I guess…but we're not even a quarter of the way up the mountain yet. We'll have a lot of hiking to do tomorrow."

"It's okay. I'll be able to make it after I've had a good rest. I'm just afraid that if I go any farther, I'll pass out again."

"Oh!" Link immediately made up his mind in that instant. "Okay! I'll go into the cave and exterminate any keese and chuchus." And with that, he promptly disappeared into the dark depths.

Meanwhile, Vaati leaned against the side of the cliff, completely bewildered _Geese? What's wrong with geese? …And Chew-chews?!_

"Okay, the coast is clear!" Link reappeared and ushered him inside.

Vaati plopped into one of the cave's corners and sighed. "I'm so pathetic," he complained. "I just wish I was stronger. …But then again, that's what got me into this mess in the first place."

Link chuckled. "Good boy. And I don't mind stopping to let you rest. I was just surprised that you tired out so quickly. Must have been the training, huh?" He began to unpack his things from the almighty sack: his blanket, the sticks, pieces of food, exc.

Vaati pulled his cloak off and wrapped it over himself. He used a little of his remaining magic to light the fire, then closed his eyes to rest.

Link amused himself for a while cooking some meat for himself, but after he'd eaten, he became terribly bored. There was nothing else to do…so he just stared at Vaati. He should probably wake him up and give him something to eat.

Slowly, Link inched his way up next to him with a small wooden bowl full of fruit. He reached out to tap him on the shoulder, but suddenly hesitated. Vaati was curled up against the wall, his red cloak pulled tightly around him. Though he didn't snore, Link could hear his deep, fluctuating breaths.

Maybe he shouldn't… Vaati was so calm, peaceful, and happy while he was sleeping. The complete opposite of his panicked, upset self during the attack. He had so few moments when he could completely relax like this.

So Link just put a small plastic sheet over the bowl and left it next to him. He rolled up the Roc's Cape and tucked it behind his head for extra support. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. "Sleep well, Vaati," he whispered, before curling up with his own blanket for the night.

(-)

"Yaaugh!" With one mighty swing of his sword, Link took out two tektites at once.

On his other side, Vaati was picking his way around patches of hot ash towards a sloping piece of the mountain resembling a stairway.

_Ka-tink_! A turtle-monster appeared underneath a nearby rock and charged at him. He quickly hopped out of the way and let it pass. It smacked against an opposite cliff face and broke the rock on its back.

Link ran up behind and delivered the finishing blow. "Yay for teamwork!" he cried, in a very cliché, little children's show way.

Vaati appropriately rolled his eyes at him. 'This cliff here looks like a dead end." He pointed up the slope towards the small plateau. "So I'll just check it out while you search for another cave, okay?"

Link feinted shock and disapproval. "Hey…I thought _I _was the one giving the orders!"

"Oh…" Vaati slowly stepped back from the rocky slope. "You don't want me to?"

Link sighed. "I was just joking! Will you stop taking everything so seriously? Go on, go up that cliff. I'll look for another cave entrance."

Vaati turned around and resumed his climb, though he grumbled a little under his breath. Sometimes he wished Link wouldn't joke around like that.

Link just wished Vaati could take a joke. He turned back around and started whacking the side of the mountain face with his sword, trying to find a hollow spot. He persisted for another ten or so minutes and didn't even hear when someone approached him again.

"Link!"

"Waaugh!" Link jumped around, holding out his sword. "Oh…" he then realized, calming down and releasing his sword. "Vaati. Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," the frazzled sorcerer quickly replied. "But I found something! There's this really weird pool of green water up there…and it's _steaming_…is it some kind of poison?"

Link had to bite the bottom of his lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. "That's Mt. Crenel mineral water!" he explained. "There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, I think it's really good for the plants around here. We should go back up and get some in a bottle. If we don't need it for the plants, we can always sell it later." Link rustled in his pack for a few minutes and then pulled out one of his empty bottles. "Okay, lead me to the mineral water pool!"

Vaati showed him up onto the plateau. The small leak of the mineral water that had been there before had grown to several times its size. The rocks that it had tricked between were now underneath it, and it was nestled between even larger rocks to the side.

"Gee…I wonder how it got so big," Link stated. "Maybe after I first cleared out the mine and the rocks in the mountain changed. The mineral water could have been affected, since it comes from the rocks of Mt. Crenel." He took out his bottle and stooped to scoop the mineral water into it.

Vaati bent over as well, in curiosity, and dipped one hand into it. He had figured that it was poisonous and would hurt him. Slowly, his face eased into a smile. "Wow…it's really warm! It's warm as a bathtub!" Then, suddenly he had a jolt of recognition. "I…I know what this is! Link! This is a hot spring!"

Link gave him a questioning glance. "You seem awful happy about it."

"Well, I am!" Vaati admitted. "We don't have hot springs in the picori world. We'd drown in a human one. Unless you count little cups of tea and hot cocoa, but that's not very clean." Delighted, Vaati sat down on the edge of the spring, took his boots off, and dipped his feet into it. "Ahhhhh…" he sighed. "That feels so good…" Then, he reached up and pulled his cape off, folding it and placing it next to his boots.

"Well, you can stay here while I look for a cave," Link offered. "Just make sure you don't wander off anywhere. You need to be right here when I come back."

"Yes, Daddy," Vaati joked, rolling up his pants. "You don't need to worry about me leaving here anytime soon."

"Okay…" Link slowly began to descend from the plateau, giving him one last glance over his shoulder. He thought Vaati's infatuation with the hot spring was a little strange, but if it made him happy, it didn't matter. He was never really fond of them himself, particularly because it involved being naked outside in public. It was really more of a girl thing, anyway. Now, this time, he'd definitely find a cave!

(-)

"Vaati?! …_Vaati_!" For Din's sake, where in Hyrule had he gone?! He was supposed to have stayed right here at the edge of the hot spring, soaking his feet. He even promised that he wouldn't go anywhere! Oh, he'd be getting an earful once he found him.

Link had finally discovered a collapsible wall near the far western edge of the cliff face. He immediately cleared it of chuchus and pointed-mask birds, and then ran back up to the plateau to get Vaati. Only Vaati wasn't there.

"_Vaati_!!!" Link yelled again out of frustration.

"Will you stop yelling?" a voice floated out of nowhere to him. "I'm right here."

Link followed it to a spot at the base of one of the spring's border rocks. A small lump flipped around, revealing itself as Vaati's torso. "You told me to stay right here."

Link's poor face nearly exploded. Vaati was sitting against the rock in the hot spring, greenish water lapping around his bare chest. A few clouds of steam swirled around him, and pieces of purple hair hung wet and limp over his shoulders.

Link couldn't speak at all, but a million and one things were zooming through his cranium. _When I said "stay right here", I didn't mean for him to go _in _it! I should have known this was going to happen. Why didn't he tell me he was going to do that?! Gee, he doesn't think much of stripping down, does he? He'll just take his clothes off whenever he feels like it. Though he's a guy…I guess he feels comfortable because I'm a guy too. But why am I _Un_comfortable? Brrrrr…it's that scar again… …His hair is darker when it's wet. The green hue of the spring reflects off his skin, just like his hair. It's so…shiny…_

"Wh-wh-wha-wha-wha…" Those were Link's first words. He needed to learn how to speak all over again. "Gyuh…pwaa…hihh…erlum…" His mouth was flapping all of its own free will, exercising his jaw. His brain was only able to process one word: _shiny…_

Vaati burst into a fit of chuckles. "Eheheheheheh…what's an 'erlum'?"

"Er…I…I thought you just wanted to dip your feet a little! You…you didn't tell me you wanted to take a bath!"

"Well, that's what you _do_ in a hot spring, right?" Vaati snatched a conjured bar of soap off the rock behind him and started scrubbing his back. "I've only read about them, you know. And I hadn't taken a bath for over a week! I felt so dirty!"

Link took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing mind. At least now he could form sentences. Last time he'd had to deal with this, Vaati was still wearing a loincloth. This time, although the other half of him was underwater, he was completely naked. Why? How had this happened in less than a week together? Link figured they'd eventually have to do personal things like this around each other, but why so soon?!

Lost in his own frazzled mind, he didn't even notice when Vaati pulled the soap away from his body and cocked his head at him. "Did you want to come in too, Link? It would do you good—you look awfully tense."

_Pow_! Link literally _felt_ his face explode in red fireworks. _He wants to take a bath with me?! He wants me to be naked with him?! Aaaaaaaaugh!!!_

"No!" he suddenly found himself yelling. "No way! I…I don't have time to be just lying around in a puddle of water!"

"Really?" Vaati actually looked a little disappointed. "But it's so nice and relaxing… It'll make you feel a whole lot better. I even think it's recharging my magic." Then, all of a sudden, his eyes took on a narrow, shifty sparkle. "What if I told you you stink like a moldy old cavern?"

"What?!" At least this time, Link could pass his mad blushing off as an angry flush. 'What did you just say?! Did you just say I stink?!"

Vaati grinned, smugly. "I'm just joking!" he regurgitated. "You need to stop taking things so seriously!"

"Rrr…" Link ground his teeth, partly from his anger and from his own inner turbulence. "I won't forget that!"

"Oooh…looks like I'm in hot water now. Get it? Hot water? I'm in hot water? Heeheeheehee!" Vaati giggled like a lunatic as if his lame pun was the funniest thing ever.

Link rolled his eyes. "I think there's something in that steam…"

"Heeheehee…I…I don't know what it is…" Vaati clutched his middle, just above his stomach as he continued to smile and giggle lightly. "I don't know…heehee…if it's the water…or the warmth…but I just feel so…_bubbly_ inside. Heeheeheehee…it feels great!"

That was it. Link had been about to insist that Vaati finish up and get out of the hot spring in the next few minutes…but now he just couldn't. He hadn't seen the poor downhearted sorcerer so happy since he'd agreed to let him come on this quest. No…scratch that. Right now, he looked even happier than that.

Almost instantly, Link's body relaxed as he looked into Vaati's smiling face. A smile formed on his face as well. It was impossible not to while he had that beautiful smile on. "Um…well, I found a cave, and cleared it out for us," Link finally explained. "So whenever you're done, you can meet me down there."

"Okay!" Vaati cheerily returned to his bathing, ducking down and smoothing his hair out in the water.

And then, reluctantly, Link turned his back and began to descend back to his lonely little cave.

(-)

_I can't believe I'm doing this_. Link didn't find his situation unusually uncomfortable, and his mental statement wasn't one of annoyance and exasperation. He was just in general awe. _I can't believe I'm doing this_. The more appropriate statement would have probably been _I can't believe he's _letting _me do this. _

When Vaati had finally arrived at the cave that evening, dressed and dried off, he immediately started skipping around it in circles like a child hopped up on sugar. But then, there was also the fact that he was throwing off multicolored sparkles in every direction.

Link raised an eyebrow as he followed his circular progress. "Um…what are you _doing_?" he finally asked. "Is this some kind of bizarre magicians' ritual?"

"You could say that!" Vaati cried as he jumped past Link again. His voice sounded a little winded, but it was still bright and cheerful. "I spent…too much time…in the hot spring! So now I have…_too much_ magic…and I have to release it somehow! If I don't…release it…I'll probably…explode!" And he said this last sentence with a bright smile on his face.

Link continued staring at him as he completed another lap around the cave. He didn't think that this could even happen. Whenever _he'd _used magical power in the past, there had been no such extremes. Of course, he wasn't a magical being, so Vaati had a much greater capacity for magic. It was a shame he couldn't hold on to all this excess. Ah, well. At least being loaded with magic seemed to make him happy. _Maybe that's what was making him so schoolgirl-ish-ly giddy before_, Link realized.

After a minute or two more, Vaati finally began to slow down, and his magic sparks began to fizzle out. "Phew," he panted once everything finally came to a stop.

_Too bad_, Link secretly thought, _those sparks were kind of pretty…like miniature fireworks._

"I apologize," Vaati spoke up, turning around to face him again. "That's never happened to me before. I knew that it could happen, but I've never experienced it before. I'm usually on the opposite end—I can't get _enough_ magic. I should have been more cautious."

"Nah, it's alright," Link casually waved it off. "Those sparkles were pretty." He felt his face burn a little again, and cursed himself. _Why did I have to say that?!_

Vaati just chuckled. "So, is there anything you'd like me to do? I'm still loaded, you know. Even shrinking wouldn't get me down!"

"Uh…not that I can think of," Link admitted. "I need you to light the fire, but…"

"Forget the fire—let's have a _stove_!" Vaati immediately began to roll up his sleeves. Then, he paused and looked around the cavern for a bit. "I know! I'll turn this cave into a whole room!"

"You don't have to!" Link immediately cried, holding his hands out. "I mean, this is only temporary. We'll have to abandon this place tomorrow morning! What's the use of turning it into a room?"

Vaati paused to consider it. "Well, I guess you're right," he agreed. "But I should at least make us beds." Another pause. Then, he started to giggle again. "And by that I mean 'conjure up some beds for us to sleep on' not 'turn us into beds'. Heeheeheehee…" Well, the excess magic was now gone, but apparently, the giddiness was still working its way out.

So for the rest of the evening, Vaati conjured up random pieces of furniture and food, and Link cooked wonderful pasta dishes for them. It was all shaping up to be the best night they'd spent together. That was, until disaster struck again.

All of a sudden, Vaati had another attack. Link couldn't understand what had caused it. He'd been so chipper all night. Maybe there was something bothering him way in the back of his mind. Link then confirmed that his attacks definitely had something to do with magic, because after it had happened, Vaati felt much more tired. The attack had drained a considerable amount of his magic. Did that mean it was _created _using magic? Human hallucinations were bad enough, but magical hallucinations must feel even more real.

Vaati had said it was the second one—the one in which he sees the twisted, demonic form he took on after obtaining the Light Force floating menacingly above him. It gets closer and closer, and reaches out a long, sectioned claw arm towards him, all while smiling maniacally. Then, he begins to feel his own body transforming into that form again. Pain and fear tear through him as a giant eyeball grows out of his chest, wings rip out of his head, and the rest of his body grotesquely twists itself into a monstrous shape.

Link wished he had better phrases to tell him to repeat other than, "this isn't me", "this isn't what I look like", and "I'm not a monster". He found himself sitting on Vaati's bed, comforting him and repeatedly telling him that he wasn't a monster and that he was beautiful. If Link had told any other guy he was beautiful, he probably would've punched him across the cheek, but Vaati actually enjoyed it. In fact, if Link hadn't already seen him half-naked twice, he would've suspected him of being a girl.

And that's where Link amazedly found himself now—sitting on Vaati's bed, the tired sorcerer resting his head on his knee. He was also running his fingers through his hair. He had done this in order to help Vaati calm down, but he was still doing it, even after he'd stopped trembling and muttering anxiously. In fact, if Link's eyes weren't deceiving him, he was actually smiling a bit, his cheeks a slightly pale pink.

"Your hair is so soft." Once again, Link couldn't believe the things that were slipping out of his mouth. He had to stop relaxing and letting his every thought tumble out. But it was true. He couldn't stop running his hand over the silky, light purple strands. It was as if he had entered a blissful trance.

"It's the mineral water," Vaati mumbled, strangely not minding a bit. "It's got enriching properties. If you'd bathed in it, your hair would've been just as soft."

Link had to disagree with that. Vaati's hair would always be softer than his. It was soft even when he hadn't been soaking it in hot spring water.

His skin was really soft too. Link had felt it a little bit while he'd been wiping his tears away and every now and then when his fingers brushed his forehead. _I wonder if the rest of him is just as soft as his face…_

The thought shocked Link. His face immediately flushed and his eyes widened. _Why was I thinking that?! Just another reason to make sure all of my thoughts don't get out…_ Link sat there for another five minutes, calming down while petting Vaati. Vaati began to hum some unfamiliar picori tune under his hand, but he was too lost in his thoughts to even notice.

Thoughts and events that had occurred during that day were flashing through his mind. Little things Vaati had said…little snippets of his own inner voice. "_Did you want to come in too, Link? It would do you good—you look awfully tense." He wants to take a bath with me?! "If you'd bathed in it, your hair would've been just as soft." "…you stink like a moldy old cavern." _

Gently, he began to pull away from him, but he didn't even notice. His humming had stopped, and Link suddenly realized that he'd fallen asleep. Perfect. He draped the covers over him and silently crept to the cave entrance.

A quick peek outside revealed a still bare landscape. Thankfully, none of the monsters had refreshed their ranks. It shouldn't take that long…

Everything was so quiet. Link looked up at the glowing white sliver of the moon above him. _It looks like Vaati's skin… _It was urging him on. He had to do this.

He forced his feet forward, up the stone steps in the side of the cliff, and to the edge of the mineral water hot spring. Then he forced his hands forward. They deftly plucked his boots off…then his tunic…then his tights.

The comforting warmth wrapped over him as he gently slipped into the water.

(-)

"Yes! At last! Vaati, come on! We're here!"

The sorcerer poked his purple head around the cavern entrance and timidly peeked in the direction his enthusiastic partner was pointing.

Link frankly couldn't understand what the problem was. "Vaati, come out of there, will you?! There's nothing to be afraid of. There certainly won't be any people up this high on the mountain."

It had only taken them one more day of climbing to reach the summit of Mt. Crenel, though they had to immediately stop to rest afterwards. Vaati used up almost all of his magic defending them from rockslides and insulating them from the layer of snow that had appeared at the very tip. Last time it had been raining, Link remembered, but then again, it had been summertime back then. Now it was spring. As he had predicted, Vaati had indeed been grateful for his cloak during their trek through the snow.

Sure, he'd never been inside a dungeon before, but his sudden onslaught of fear did seem a little ridiculous.

Finally, Vaati stepped out from behind the cavern, but his anxious expression didn't change, and he didn't come any closer to Link's spot. "I don't want to go," he insisted.

"It's a dungeon," Link explained. "Yes, there are bound to be a lot of monsters and dangerous situations in there, but it's what we have to do to save the world. The Metal Element is in there, probably guarded by some gigantic evil creature, but you don't have to worry. You're not going to die. I survived all this before and I'm not going to let you die…"

Vaati was shaking his head. "No…" he said. "Not the dungeon. There. I don't want to go in there." Shakily, he pointed to a spot behind him.

Link turned around. His heart sank to the bottom of his chest. He'd forgotten. How could he have let himself forget this?!

The edge of the cliff was on one side. On the other was a steep rocky wall leading to the peak. And in between was the tangled metal piping of the mountain picori mines.


	4. A Few Familiar Faces

Wow!!! Fast update!!! (at least for me) Know why? I've been torn away from playing Twilight Princess, as I now no longer have a TV or anything to play it on. So I entertained myself with writing this story! Yay!

As it is such a fast update, I don't really like it as much as the others. Hopefully, it wasn't _too_ fast and not up to my usual standard of updates. The dungeon parts and the boss battle were especially a challenge. Action scenes aren't my forte, but I just need the practice with them, right? This chapter's also the longest thus far. It's actually like two chapters in one—the encounter with the mountain picori and the dungeon.

There are several references to people and things in the manga version of Minish Cap this chapter. Melta is the manga name for Melari, and Chilta is a mountain picori that Link befriends and takes into the dungeon. Gleerok is actually a gentle, female Loch Ness-like creature that was simply cursed into being a monster. You'll find the details within. Her colors are completely imagined. I think she looks good being white and pink.

Oh, and yes, the unnamed dragon is supposed to be Volvagia. Or a relative or reincarnation of Volvagia.

Don't expect the next update to be quick just because this one was. I honestly have no idea when it could be!

Link, Vaati, Chilta, Melta, Gleerok, exc. _still_ belong to Nintendo and the manga person. Rats.

(-)

Chapter 4: A Few Familiar Faces

"It's just a little hole in the ground…can't we just jump over it? Or…or I could float us across, if you're too afraid of accidentally landing in it. Yeah, that's what I'll do. See, the cave's right there. We'll just float across… I've got enough magic, I know I do. Okay…give me your hand…"

Link swatted Vaati back when he reached out towards him. "Save your magic for the shrinking," he commanded. "You're going to need all of it, remember?"

Vaati's face twisted even more, in fear and anxiety. "You're…you're not going to make me go in there…?"

"Why not?!" Link argued. "The mountain picori probably know exactly where the Metal Element is, and they can help us find it. Without their help, we could be wandering through the mines for months! They've been back in them for a while now, and they can point us in the right direction."

A terrible silence followed, and Link looked back at Vaati's trembling form as he turned his head down and stared at the ground. "It's going to be okay. Really. The mountain picori are really carefree now that all their problems are solved. They probably won't even recognize you. Even if they do, they're peaceful. I'm sure they'd have a rational way of dealing with the problem."

"They've got _giant hammers_ and _pickaxes_! You try talking calmly with someone who's waving a big pointy pick at you! If they wanted to, they could kill me the instant I set foot in their workshop."

Link rolled his eyes. "They're not going to _kill _you. I can promise you that. I don't think they'll be any problem at all. I've got friends there, and I know they'll back me up…"

"Remember what happened the _last_ time you forced me to go somewhere I didn't want to. The same kind of thing could happen here. What if I have another attack and try to destroy their forge? Or what if I push someone into the fire?! I'm afraid…now that I know I can hurt people. I'm afraid…of what I could do next."

Link gently moved forward and wrapped his hands around Vaati's bony little wrists. "_I'll _be there, remember? You've got nothing to worry about. I can bring you out of any attack. And no matter what, I will protect you. I'll stand up for you. I'd never, ever turn against you, unless you turned against me first—no matter _who's_ rejecting you. I went against my own grandfather for you, remember?"

Finally, Vaati nodded, and a smile broke across his face, though his eyebrows still pressed upwards. "Yes. I'm sorry…I guess I _do_ doubt you…"

Link smiled and released his wrists again. "We'll be fixing that soon," he assured.

(-)

Though this was only his second time shrinking with Vaati, Link was already beginning to become comfortable. He didn't flush quite as much at seeing Vaati in a loincloth. In fact, he was more concerned about his health.

"I-It'll only b-be for a m-m-m-moment…" Vaati stuttered as he climbed up onto the rock entrance next to Link. "Th-then I can put my c-clothes back on…"

"You're going to freeze to death before you finish singing," Link argued. "Look at you! You're shaking like a leaf! Can't you at least put your cloak on?"

Vaati shook his head, but it was barely visible, since the rest of him was shaking so much. "C'mon…l-l-let's just get this over with…" Vaati grabbed Link's hand and took a deep breath to begin his incantation. Suddenly, his face melted into a pleased, yet puzzled expression. "Y-You…smell nice," he commented. "D-Do you have cologne on or s-s-something?"

"No," Link answered, though the tone of his voice showed that he was concealing something. "But it doesn't matter! Just do the incantation!"

"O-Okay…" Vaati immediately closed his eyes and began to sing in a shaky voice.

Though Link knew his concern for his health should override any other feelings within him, he couldn't help but swell with inner pride. _He noticed… And he liked it!_

The little green platforms of crystal inside the rock entrance were much harder than the cushy mushroom caps of the stump one. Link became even more concerned for Vaati's well-being when he heard the high-pitched little screams again. They seemed to be louder than before. He had to force himself to ignore them and concentrate on what was really happening. For a second, he saw a flash of something white that might have been Vaati's body. Once again, after the shrinking was over, Link walked out of the tiny hole at the bottom of the rock and waited for Vaati to change underneath his loincloth.

"Oh, man…" The little purple-haired picori emerged from underneath the cloth on slightly wobbly legs. "I was planning on making myself invisible before we went into the mine, but now…I don't think I can do it…"

Link extended an arm to offer him support. "It'll be fine. C'mon, now. We'll just ask them a few quick questions and then I'll take you somewhere to rest. It'll be all over before you know it."

Vaati wanted to protest, but didn't have the strength to argue, and let Link drag him off towards the mine entrance by his long purple sleeve.

The mountain picori mine was entrenched in a small hole in the ground. It had probably once been a little hole dug by the human miners, and then abandoned. At least the high rock walls could protect the picori miners from outside intrusions. Like a tired, drained, formerly evil sorcerer-in-training.

Link had to carefully help Vaati down the steep slope leading to the front entrance. At one point, he even felt like he was carrying the limp picori. It was a good thing that picori were still smaller than humans on an equal level.

When they finally reached the little tunnel entrance to the mine, Link was surprised and equally relieved to see that it was unguarded. He guessed that in this time of peace, they figured they had nothing to worry about. Only other picori would be able to reach the mine, anyway. And so, with a bold stride, and a fearful tug at his shoulder from Vaati, Link stepped straight into the mine.

The clinking and clattering sounds of the picori at work filled the air as an undertone, but other than that, it remained comfortably silent. Link looked around at the rock ledge he was standing on, at the tunnels in the side of the wall where the work noises drifted from, and at the constructed rock ramp that curled down towards the gigantic central forge where a scorching fire was burning.

Warily, Vaati poked his head out from behind Link and began to look around as well. He'd read about the mountain picori in his culture study textbooks, but this was the first time he'd been here and actually seen it in person. Secretly, he wished he had one of his scrolls with him so he could take notes.

"See?" Link insisted, smiling over at him. "This isn't so bad, right?" As is often the case, he'd spoken too soon.

The mountain picori hadn't even heard their arrival, but as one of them was ascending the ramp to join his comrades in the tunnel, he got a complete, clear view of them. The little picori had a long blue sash tied over the top of his aqua pants and a red sleeveless shirt. A pickaxe was slung over his shoulder. He lifted his goggles, placing them just underneath his blond, afro-styled hair, and blinked incredulously at them. Was he really seeing what he _thought_ he was seeing? Was that…? No, that couldn't be… Yes, it had to be…! Nimbly, he scurried into the tunnel to inform the others, before Link or Vaati even noticed him. They didn't know they'd been detected until they suddenly found themselves surrounded by blond, crazy-haired picori holding large excavation equipment.

"Oh! Hi, there!" Link didn't seem the least bit concerned, though Vaati cowered back to hide behind him. "Look! I'm back! We've got a little bit of a problem with the new Holy Sword, and we'd appreciate your assistance in helping to alleviate it. You see, the sword isn't actually…"

Before Link could even finish his explanation, the picori closest to him suddenly spoke. Its squeaky little voice was nothing but a stream of random flitting syllables.

"Um…" Link asked. "I didn't quite catch that…" As he scanned the crowd for some hint at what he had said, his eye came to rest on a familiar mountain picori with flopping dreadlocks sticking out of a headband. "Chilta!" he cried. "Hey there! You remember me, right? I came back for a little visit! Aren't you glad?"

Chilta's face only scrunched into a confused frown. Then he, too, began to chatter in unrecognizable flittering words.

_Oh, duh!_ Link suddenly realized. _They're speaking Picori! The Jabber Nut wore off, so we can't understand each other anymore!_ Despite his shivering and reluctant backward tugs, Link forced Vaati out from behind him. "Vaati!" he desperately cried. "What are they saying?! I don't know Picori anymore!"

A few of the picori gasped at the sight of him, but none immediately attacked. Mostly, they just turned their faces up towards Link, as if to ask, _so what are you doing with him?!_

Vaati's whole body trembled. He reached out an arm, and at first, Link assumed he was groping for balance. Instinctually, he began to move forward to provide him with that balance, but just then, Vaati began to speak. And oddly enough, Link didn't understand one word that came out of his mouth. The mountain picori didn't seem to either, and continued staring curiously at them.

A terribly bright flash of light burst through the cavern, and then, it solidified into an object in Vaati's hand. It was small, red, and rounded, with two lumps at one end and a stem sprouting out of its top. A Jabber Nut.

"E-Eat it…" Vaati commanded, shoving the nut into Link's hands just before he stiffened and collapsed to the floor like a wooden block.

Link sighed, while the mountain picori's eyes bulged out from underneath their goggles. Here we go with the sacrificing again…when would he ever learn? The mountain picori all looked down at Vaati's paralyzed body with shock. They began to murmur amongst themselves.

Scowling, Link stuffed the Jabber Nut into his mouth and chewed it to smithereens. As soon as the last particle slipped down his throat, he opened his mouth again. "What's wrong with you all?!" he barked at the dumbstruck picori. "Don't just stand there!!! Get him to a bed or a cot or something!!!"

The poor mountain picori were nearly blown away. A few of them even toppled backwards. "Y-You…you can speak Picori now?" one of the ones left standing replied.

"Yes!" Link yelled back at him. "But that's not the problem, here! Can't you all see?! Vaati needs medical attention!!!"

Finally, the mountain picori began to recover and stare down at Vaati's immobilized form with distaste.

"So it _is_ Vaati…"

"I thought he looked an awful lot like him."

"But that means… Vaati is one of _us_?!"

"That can't be true! We picori are kind and helpful to humans!"

"So I guess the rumors are true…he wasn't really killed after all."

Above all the buzz of deliberation, Chilta looked into Link's eyes with confusion again. "Link?" he asked, "Why…?"

"Shut up, all of you!!!" Link burst out again, and the picori immediately fell silent. Decidedly, he bent down and scooped Vaati's limp body into his own arms. "If you're not going to help him, then I'll just have to help him myself! Where's the nearest bedroom?"

The mountain picori's eyes widened again. They jumped in front of him and frantically tried to block his passage. "N-No!" one on the left cried out. "You can't! We're not allowed to let those in who have not been deemed trustworthy!"

"Well, _I'm_ deeming him trustworthy!" Link snarled. And with that, he forced his way through the blockade. The mountain picori could do nothing but fall helplessly out of the way. Link was a trusted friend of Master Melta, after all, and if something happened to him, they'd be getting flak for it.

Link ground his teeth as he stormed past them. Honestly, he thought they'd have more sense than this! Especially Chilta! Had he changed that much over the past year?! Link was seriously disappointed in him and the entire tribe as well.

"…Link?" Suddenly, the blond mountain picori was at his side, as if his thoughts had conjured him up.

"What are _you _doing here?" he asked, his voice slightly hardened.

"I…I want to help." Chilta ran around in front of him, forcing him to a stop. He slowly reached out as if to take Vaati from him, or at least help carry him. "I know you're a good person, and you must have a good reason for trusting him. So I'll trust him too."

Though Chilta insistently extended his arms, Link didn't even more to let him hold Vaati.

"Well…" He turned and began to walk off towards a room further down the ramp. "He can have my bed. I don't mind; I'll sleep on the floor. And you can have the chair."

Soon, Link found himself gently placing Vaati down on the wooden bed closest to the fire in the seven apprentices' room.

Chilta spread the covers over him. "What happened, anyway? How come he just fainted like that? Is he sick?"

Link's face grew slightly pallid as he gazed down at his unconscious partner. "Oh, gosh, I hope not… I _think_ he just passed out because he used up all of his magical energy, but he was outside in the cold a little while ago…"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Chilta assured him. He sat down on one cushioned wooden seat near the fireplace, and gestured for Link to join him in the opposite seat. "I'll fix him up some nice, warm cucco soup later. We have it transported from the town…"

"No!" Link immediately replied. "He doesn't eat meat. Could you make it without the cucco?"

"Oh…sure."

Link reluctantly made his way to the opposite chair and sat down. "So all picori aren't vegetarians?"

"Well, we aren't," Chilta replied, speaking for his entire tribe. "I wasn't even aware that the others were." He took a deep breath and looked into Link's face. "So…what happened? Why are you here, how are you here, and why are you…with him?"

And so, not for the first time, or the last, Link recounted everything that had happened since last year—meeting Vaati and nursing him back to health, learning about the monsters' re-release, finding out about the Secondary Elements, and journeying through the town and up the mountain.

"H-How astonishing…" Chilta was barely able to make a reply. "I didn't even know we had an extra element in the human mine next door! I'm not even sure if Master Melta knows that. If we had that Metal Element, our work would be much easier. …And poor little wizard boy. No wonder he looked so frightened."

Link nodded. "I just get so frustrated when people can't trust me to say that he's not evil and destructive anymore. Hopefully, after this adventure, we won't have to deal with that anymore."

Chilta smiled. "I hope so too." He began to rise back out of his chair. "Well, I may as well get started on that cucco-less soup."

"And I need to speak to Master Melta," Link decided, following him. "Please…make sure the others don't come in here…"

"I'll take care of it," Chilta resolutely decided. "I'll take care of him while you're gone. I'm not afraid to stand up to them for his sake."

And then, with one final intake of strengthening breath, Link turned and began to make his way to the exit and down into the heart of the mines.

(-)

"Erm…actually, I've no idea what you're talking about, my boy."

Link looked up into the strangely confused little eyes of the large, burly picori sword-smith.

"In fact, I wish I_ had_ known about this Metal Element in the Fire Cave. I don't doubt it's in there, though. We've covered very little ground since you cleared it of evil presences last year. We could explore that cave for decades and still not even make it as far as the central pool where you had found the Fire Element."

Link's head slightly dropped away to gaze at the ground. "So…you have no idea where it could be within the Fire Cave? Not even an estimate?"

"No." Melta heaved a hearty chuckle. "Though I know it's not where you've already been! …I don't know for sure, so you don't have to take this advice, but I would suggest checking near that central pool area I mentioned."

Link's head turned back up, hope creeping back into it. "Yeah! That's a good idea! I never thoroughly checked over there—I just grabbed the Fire Element and warped out."

Melta nodded. "Good luck. Hopefully, there won't be as many creatures to get in your way. The cave's been rather peaceful since you broke its curse."

"Thank you." Link smiled and immediately began to ascend the ramp once again. Now they had some sort of direction…and perhaps there wouldn't even be any evil creatures to fight off!

(-)

"Ah…aaaugh!" Vaati struggled to leap out of bed, but his limbs only trembled weakly. He wasn't strong enough for that yet. But he just had to get away…!

"Hey, relax, little wizard." A frighteningly large picori face peered down at him, its eyes hidden underneath a large headband. Blond chunks of hair stuck out of the headband like macaroni noodles.

_It's one of those awful mountain picori! No…it's going to impale me with a pickax. I just know it…he's probably got it hiding behind his back or something. What happened?! …Link? Where's Link?!_

"I'm not going to hurt you. My name's Chilta. I'm a friend of Link's. He told me all about you."

_A friend of Link's…? Is he telling the truth? Where is Link?! Why'd he disappear right when I need him?! Well…I guess Link wouldn't have left me with this guy if he didn't trust him…_

"Uh…ah…I'm Vaati… But you already knew that…. And, uh…I'm sorry…"

"Hey, it's okay," Chilta replied. "You haven't done anything wrong this time. The others just don't know your story yet, but they'll know it soon!" The cheery mountain picori smiled back at him. "You have an interesting accent. Is that the forest accent or the town accent?"

"It's town," Vaati informed him. "But I'm not a town picori. I'm somewhere in between forest and town."

"I'm actually surprised that you can understand me. Most all other picori have a difficult time with our dialect because it's so different from theirs." Chilta turned to sweep something off a table behind him. When he turned back around, a steaming bowl rested in his hands. "Here," he said, carefully handing it to Vaati. "I made you some non-cucco cucco soup. Link told me that you're a vegetarian."

"Thank you." Vaati sat up and cradled the bowl in his lap. He glanced up at Chilta as he slowly took a sip. This was going to take some getting used to…

(-)

By the time Link had returned from his exploration and meeting with Master Melta, Vaati had completely recovered. He had hoped that when he entered the room next, he might possibly see him awoke and sitting up in bed…but he walked in to see Vaati and Chilta sitting in those little chairs near the fire, chatting back and forth.

"Vaati!" he exclaimed in surprise and delight. "You're better already? That's great!"

Vaati hopped to his feet at the sound of his voice and rushed to his side. "Link! Where did you go?! I was worried when I woke up and you weren't there…"

"Sorry," Link told him. "I had to go speak with Master Melta about the Metal Element, and so I asked Chilta to watch you while I wasn't here. He must have done a good job of it."

Vaati chuckled. "Yeah. He just kept stuffing me with soup until I was strong enough to get up."

Chilta shrugged as he stood up and walked over to join them. "You looked like you were enjoying it."

"I did," Vaati assured him. "You're a pretty good cook. Better than Ezlo, for sure. He can barely manage to make a decent sandwich." The two of them broke into light laughter.

Link just smiled at them. _That's good…they're getting along_. He stared at the two picori for a little longer, and his smile began to settle back into a grim line. Standing there next to Chilta, Vaati looked surprisingly small. The mountain picori was not only taller than him, but plenty bigger than him. Vaati may have looked chubby by human standards, but he was actually quite thin by picori standards. His round little legs were much narrower than Chilta's, and even his shoulders and waist area were thinner. Sure, Chilta was one of the strongest, most healthy picori in the world, but still… Poor Vaati looked sick next to him.

"How are you feeling?" Link insisted on knowing. "You might be magically recharged again, but are you feeling alright? Being out in that cold…"

"I feel fine," Vaati told him. "Do I look sick or something?"

"Yeah, actually, you do," Chilta said, his voice deepening in concern. "You're really, really pale. Are you _sure _you're fine?"

Vaati just laughed at him. "Yup. That means I'm perfectly healthy! I'm unhealthy if I'm _not_ pale."

Chilta cocked his head at him. "You're one odd picori."

"You can say that again."

"You're one _odd_ picori!"

"Well," Link spoke up, trying to get them to move on from their chatter. "I still don't know exactly where the Metal Element is, but Master Melta suggested that we look around the central lake area."

Vaati looked back up into his eyes. "I don't really know what you're talking about, but I'm assuming you know where that is." He stepped closer towards him and rolled up his sleeves. "Okay. Let's get going, then! Is there an entrance on the other side?"

"No!" Chilta desperately called out to him. "You shouldn't go out there now! It'll be dark soon, and I'll tell ya, it gets really spooky in there at night…"

"Yeah…" As eager as Link was to get the Metal Element and be on their way, he really didn't think now was the best time to attempt it. He reached out and gently pushed Vaati back by the shoulder. "You might feel fine, but we need to make sure that you're _completely_ recovered before heading into the dungeon."

"Yeah, so that's why we need to go now!" Vaati insisted. "I'll be tired out again after we grow."

"So we might as well rest here, where we've got a warm room and fresh food. We'll camp out again after we grow."

Vaati grumbled a bit, but let Link drag him back to the chairs.

On the other hand, Chilta seemed quite delighted. "Oh, excellent!" he cried. "It looks like you'll be joining us for dinner!"

(-)

Link had never imagined that dinner would be such a grand affair at the picori mines. If anything, he had envisioned the tough miners just gobbling down their meals between jobs without even bothering for a sit-down dinner. This almost reminded him of banquets at Hyrule Castle! Chilta and his six companions sat around a long table, with Master Melta at the head. Link himself was sitting at a spot on the end that they had set up for him.

The other mountain picori turned their heads to glare at something, and that was when Link noticed Vaati approaching the table and reaching out to grab an empty chair.

"No!" Chilta cried, jumping up and stopping him before he could even touch the wooden backboard. "Not that one! I'll…I'll get you another one." And with that, he zipped down one of the nearest hallways to fetch another chair.

Confusion clouded Vaati's face as the other mountain picori glared in disapproval at him. He looked into Link's face for some kind of explanation, but Link could only shrug at him.

At last, when Chilta came back with the chair, and Vaati was properly seated next to him, he quietly explained the reason. "Ever since the master's wife died, it's been customary for us to leave a seat at the table for her."

Vaati turned his pointy nose down in shame. "Oh…I'm sorry…"

"Nah, it's okay. You didn't know. But I bet the others will think you did it on purpose."

"That's why I'm sorry…"

"Okay, listen up, everyone!" The booming voice of Master Melta dominated the table as a few of his apprentices set the meal out. The main course was, to Vaati's dismay, an entire cucco wing. "We have a couple of guests tonight. They are, as you know, the human hero, Link, and his current partner, Vaati of the Town Picori. I expect you all to treat them both with respect and hospitality."

The other mountain picori stared at him with shock, while Link grinned triumphantly. He'd told Master Melta about the Vaati predicament, and he'd promised to "sort it all out". This was his way of "sorting it all out".

The servers nearly dropped the platters they were carrying. They scurried to regain their composure and finish preparing the table. A few of the mountain picori glanced at each other, as if they wanted to speak, but thankfully, kept their mouths shut.

Vaati still kept his head down, away from them. Though he should be proud to have just been protected by the mountain picori leader, he was still ashamed for his unintentional offensive act. In fact, as Link looked over at him, he seemed to be hiding his face and trembling slightly. Chilta hadn't seemed to notice. Link wished more than ever that he had made sure to get a seat next to him.

After all the food was set out and the servers had seated themselves back at the table, Master Melta stood up to lead them in a blessing over the meal. "…And bless all who partake in this meal today," the burly picori man was saying, in a surprisingly gentle voice.

Vaati's trembling grew even worse, though no one but Link noticed.

"By the grace of the three Goddesses, and the spirit of my dear, departed wife…"

"_No_!"

Everyone in the room, even including Link, snapped around towards the source of the high, protesting voice. Vaati had leaped out of his seat, his little fists shaking at his sides as tears trickled down his cheeks. "D-Don't say that! Not with me here! It's not fair! I-I don't deserve it!!! You…you wouldn't say that to her murderer!!! I killed her!!! _I'm the one that killed her_!!!"

_Crack!_

None of the picori could speak. Their mouths hung open, dumbfounded. Even Link had nothing to say. Even he couldn't have predicted this.

A little whimpering noise escaped from Vaati's mouth, but he didn't make any motion to nurse his bright red cheek.

Slowly, Master Melta retracted his long, shaking arm. "Don't you ever say that again!" he growled in a low, dangerous voice. "Don't you ever satisfy your ego, thinking that you were the one to bring her down. It had nothing to do with you! NOTHING! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" His voice filled the entire mine. To Link and the rest of the mountain picori, it felt like a bomb had just gone off.

"Mm," Vaati could only whimper, and a few more silent tears fell from his eyes as he slowly slipped back into his seat. An awful, thick tension hung over the table and no one dared make a sound. Link opened his mouth to say something, but found his jaw just dangling there like everyone else's.

Melta exhaled gruffly. "…whom we may hold in our hearts for eternity. We heartily thank you for this bountiful offering. _Sumakidatai_!"

"_Sumakidatai_!" everyone else repeated in a chorus. Link fingered the Picori word as well—his Jabber Nut strangely didn't give him a translation for _sumakidatai_.

Though he sat and chewed on cucco and vegetables for the remainder of the meal, he couldn't derive any pleasure from it. The whole time he was staring over at Vaati, who only pushed chunks of mushy potatoes around on his plate while he tried to hide his face in his hair. He desperately wanted to just walk over and give him a hug, but didn't want to further breach standard picori etiquette.

At least he noticed Chilta trying to help him. He fussed over his scrawny appearance and tried to get him to eat more.

Vaati just shook his head at him and returned to his moping.

They'd be having quite a talk afterwards.

(-)

"I'm really sorry about that. Master gets like that sometimes, especially around such a sensitive subject. Actually, you're lucky he didn't hurt you any more than he did. He was probably trying to restrain himself."

"I understand that he was upset," Link protested. He was standing behind the chair Vaati was sitting in, his arms wrapped around his neck, possessively. "But I still don't think he should have hit Vaati like that."

"It happens all the time," Chilta continued to explain. "We even get hit sometimes for bringing thing like that up."

"It's not fair," Link mumbled. "He was a _guest_. He even said so himself."

"It's okay." Vaati hadn't spoken in so long that Link was shocked just to hear his voice. He gently shrugged himself out of Link's arms. "I didn't realize how offensive my words really were."

"You were apologizing!" Link cried. "I don't see what's so offensive about that!"

"No…" Vaati finally looked up and revealed his face again, free of tears at last. "…I understand what he was saying. It's selfish of me to assume that everything bad that happened was because of me."

Chilta nodded. "Master's wife died because of our conflict with the forest picori. Though the curse on the Fire Cave only worsened this situation, it most definitely wasn't what started it."

To everyone's surprise and relief, a tiny smile even began to appear across Vaati's face. "It's actually good that this happened…it's nice to know…that I'm not the cause of all evil in the world."

"I could've told you that." Link reached up to pat him on the head. "You've never been the source of all evil. If that's the way you thought, no wonder you wanted to kill yourself."

"That's good," Chilta stated. "Now, how about we all get some sleep? It's been a really long day."

Even though Vaati kept insisting that he should sleep on the floor, Chilta gave him his bed, and he and Link slept in the chairs. Tomorrow, he insisted that they leave for the Fire Cave immediately, and for once, Link was actually glad to be going.

(-)

But, unfortunately, they had to cross the mines and go out the back entrance to do that. Chilta assured them that there wouldn't be any trouble, but Link still wasn't too sure. Vaati was standing, uncomfortably, next to him, trying to hide his sore cheek in his hair.

"Why don't you just heal it?" Link had asked the other night.

"I want it to stay there and heal by itself," Vaati had explained. "As a reminder." He was acting as if he'd been smitten with the stick of enlightenment.

Link sighed, frustratingly, but let him have his way. _I bet he'll be complaining about the gigantic purple bruise on the side of his face later._

"Bye, Link! I hope to see you again sometime! And you too, little wizard…"

"My name is Vaati," Vaati insisted. "Can you say 'Vaati'?"

"Erm…"Chilta looked slightly rattled. He hadn't even realized that he'd been unable to say the boy's name aloud. "…b-bye, um…Vaati."

Link promised they'd come back to visit, and then, with a slightly disgruntled look from Vaati, they disappeared out into the corridor. _Sure. We'll come back when you can welcome us._

Thankfully, it seemed fairly empty. A few mountain picori were working on a higher platform, but there weren't any on the road towards the back entrance. Quickly, the two of them slipped down towards it. Closer…closer… They were almost there. Link reached out to embrace the sun just on the other side of the little rock doorway.

"Oh. Are you leaving now?"

_Freeze_.

A large, thick shadow slid over the sun, blocking their escape. _No…not now_. On the other side, Vaati looked up at his assailant timidly, but not especially fearfully.

Slowly, Link turned around, wrapping his arms around Vaati again. "What do you want?"

The wide, imposing figure of Master Melta loomed over them. But strangely, despite his size, his beady eyes stared down at them with gentleness. He heaved a deep, heavy sigh. "Actually, I've come to apologize. I realize now that you were my guest, and no matter how strong my feelings, I should not have struck you."

"No, no!" Vaati insisted. "You were perfectly justified. I was acting rude and selfish. I apologize to you. Sometimes I need to be smacked around a bit. My master used to do it all the time."

Link's eyes widened. _Ezlo hit Vaati?! But...they seemed so close and loving… I didn't think Ezlo was the type… Though he did peck me on the head a few times… And didn't he say something about having hurt him in the past? Now, I'm beginning to understand better. Well, at least he's realized his faults and isn't hitting him anymore._ Link didn't even realize that he'd been tightening his grip around the little picori's neck until he tried to pull him off.

"Still…" Melta slowly reached down to cup Vaati's cheek in his hand. Vaati's whole head could almost fit in his palm. "…you must have quite the guilty conscience. To just admit to murder like that…and a murder you didn't commit… I know, you are the one who stole the Light Force and broke the Holy Sword…but to think that everything evil in the world is because of you…"

"…Is very selfish," Vaati finished his sentence. "But thanks to you, I won't think like that anymore."

Melta smiled gently at him and withdrew his hand again. "I just wish it wasn't such a permanent wound…you'll be walking around with that enormous bruise on the side of your face for months."

"I _told_ you—you should heal it," Link spoke up again, turning his head down to Vaati. "But _no_, you have to be all righteous and carry it as an emblem of your stupidity or whatever it is you said."

Vaati rolled his eyes. "A _reminder_ of my _selfishness_."

"I think you've got all the reminder you'll ever need," Melta told him. "So go ahead and heal it. It would satisfy me that no damage has been done."

"Oh, alright…" Shrugging Link off again, Vaati raised a hand to his cheek and murmured an incantation. When he pulled his hand away, the red mark had completely disappeared.

Melta smiled. "Good luck in there, boys," he offered. "Take care of yourselves."

"Thank you, Master Melta," the two of them echoed. And finally, with a few parting smiles and waves, they left the picori mines. Now came the real challenge.

(-)

Link and Vaati took one more day for growing and resting. Vaati repeatedly lamented that he wished he could perform the transportation without being completely drained of magic afterwards. Link repeatedly insisted that he didn't mind stopping while he rested.

For the rest of the day, they conversed casually. Link especially wanted to know about the beatings-from-Ezlo comment.

"Well, what did you think that big wooden stick was for?"

Link's eyes nearly fell out of his head. "He…he used it to _beat you with_?! I thought it was just some kind of magic staff… Ohmygosh! You poor thing! You were _abused_! No wonder you…" Link's voice slowly trailed off when he noticed Vaati giggling behind his hair. "What's so funny?!" he snapped.

"That was a joke!" Vaati cried. "I thought I told you not to take things so seriously!"

Now, Link wanted to smack him himself. "That was _not_ funny!" he cried. "I was worried about you! You shouldn't make jokes like that."

"Heeheehee…I'm sorry. Ezlo always said I had a weird sense of humor. Heh…ah… When I said 'all the time' I guess I was exaggerating a bit. Ezlo just used to smack me whenever I was being really bratty. I got hurt more often by misfired spells and potion explosions. I _still_ get hurt by potion explosions. Dang potions…"

Link still wasn't laughing. "So what about the _stick_?"

"Oh, that? He uses it for really quick spells he can perform on the go. He never hit me with it. Though sometimes, I think he wanted to."

Link ended up asking him lots more questions about his home life, and he ended up asking them right back. By the end of the night, they were all out of stories to tell each other.

"You know…" Link softly spoke up by the side of the campfire just before he and Vaati settled back down to sleep. "I would never have imagined it before, but we're actually quite a lot alike."

Vaati smiled and nodded. "We're both only children with no parents, being raised by old geezers to do their work for them."

Link chuckled. "And look, we're both wearing tunics and boots."

"Not anymore," Vaati declared as he kicked his boots off. "I'm not used to wearing shoes, you know."

"So is that why you always wore sandals before?"

"Probably. My magic just made these clothes for me—I didn't pick them. It's a good thing I like them, because I can't conjure anything else."

"I know. You already told me that."

"Yeah, I know."

Both of them fell silent as they looked up into the stars. Somehow, they didn't seem as vast and empty as they used to be.

"…Good night, Vaati."

"Good night, Link."

(-)

Ah…morning. Link took a deep breath of the fresh, clean air as the last of the mountain mist rolled by. He could sense the half-awake, stretchy feeling of returning consciousness, the comforting stench of the extinguished campfire, and the warm, lumpy feeling of his blanket. Lumpy?

Link turned over to his side and shot straight upright. Vaati was curled up next to him, parts of his own cloak extended over Link's blanket. Slowly, the sleepy sorcerer turned his head up and blinked bleary red eyes at him.

"Ah! Er…um…wh-what were you doing?!"

Vaati carefully sat up next to him, rubbing his eyes and stretching. "Sleeping."

"But…but how did you get over here?!" Link insisted. "When I went to sleep, you were on the other side of the fire pit!"

"I was cold," Vaati replied, as if it should have been completely obvious. "And you were warm. So I came over next to you."

Link took a deep breath. _Stop, brain_, he told himself. _No, don't think. He was cold. That's it._

As Vaati got up, conjured up a comb, and started brushing out his hair, Link looked him over. "You probably wouldn't have been cold if you'd kept your shoes on."

"But that's not _comfortable_," Vaati whined.

"And were you comfortable just now?"

Vaati paused in his grooming to look up and smile at him. His white cheeks turned very slightly pink. "Yes. …Very."

"Well…could you at least ask me next time before you do something like that?"

"But I couldn't _ask_ you. You were sleeping!"

"Then, wake me up! Really, I don't mind being woken up. I'm not going to kick you or anything."

They continued arguing and conversing as they got up, had breakfast, and prepared for their venture into the Fire Cave. Link secured his sword and shield onto his back for easy access, while strangely enough, Vaati produced an elastic band from out of nowhere and began to tie his hair back in a ponytail.

Link stared at this action with curiosity, so he read the question off his face and answered. "You said that this place is full of monsters, right? And I'm going to be doing a lot of fighting?"

"Yeah…" Link still didn't see what this had to do with styling hair.

Vaati stared back at him once again, as if it should be obvious to him. "Well, I'm tying my hair back so it doesn't get in the way. There." He tugged on his new ponytail to make sure it was tight enough, then gave Link a sideways glance. "If I didn't tie it back, it might catch on fire or get chopped off by some creature's claws."

"Ah!" Link's eyes widened. "Then please, by all means, go ahead!"

Vaati chuckled under his breath. It was amusing sometimes, the way Link constantly worried about him. He was getting to be as bad as Ezlo!

Even though the cave was now broken of its violent curse, it retained its basic, original format. Link and Vaati carefully ventured forth down the rocky tunnel of the entrance. It radiated warmly from the mine's inner core, and as they journeyed further and further into the heart of it, the heat dramatically increased. Link remembered this stifling heat from the first time he'd been in here, but Vaati had to acclimate to it.

"My Goddesses, it's hot in here!" he exclaimed once they had reached the edge of the central chamber, and promptly undid the button on his tunic's collar.

Link nervously glanced back at him, wondering if he was about to take his clothes off again. "It'll cool off once we get to the water," he assured him. "In the center of the mine, there's an underground lake. It used to be a gigantic pool of lava."

"Yeah, I know," Vaati grimly replied. "I'm the one that turned it into a gigantic pool of lava."

"You were here before?"

"Yeah—who do you think initiated the cave's curse? I could teleport, remember? And I just kept myself cool. I didn't know about the Fire Element—I only looked here for the Light Force, and punished it for not having it." His face fixated on the ground again.

"Well, there's no use in dwelling on it now. C'mon, I remember the way." There was a glint of metal in the distance, and Link pulled him towards it.

"What's that?"

"You'll see."

The little glint grew and molded itself into a solid shape. It was silver and rectangular. And hollow in the middle. Link's blue eyes lit up with excitement. "Aw, yes! Here we go! I love traveling by mine cart!" He put his hands on the smooth metal edge and began to lift himself into it.

Vaati surveyed the device with a skeptical frown. "But where will it take us? And doesn't someone have to stay behind to push it?"

"Nope," Link told him, with a delighted smile. "It'll take us exactly where we need to go. At least I'm pretty sure it will. Hop in."

Cautiously, Vaati climbed into the mine cart behind Link and faced in his direction.

Link grabbed and squeezed the front edge of the cart. "Hold on tight," he warned.

Vaati's reluctant frown only deepened, but he grabbed a hold of Link's shoulders anyway. "Is this going to be anything like that sprint through town?"

"You'll see."

_Zwoosh_!!! And with that, the little mine cart was off. Vaati's heart leaped up into his throat, and he pinched the life out of Link's shoulders.

"Weehee!!!" Link exclaimed as the cart sped along its track like a miniature rollercoaster. Each little dip and turn across the rocky terrain produced new squeals of delight from the brave adventurer. The whole way, his joyous calls were accented by screams of terror.

"Whooo!" Link yelled as they turned a sharp corner. Then suddenly, the cart reeled down a steep hill towards the center of the cavern. "WHOOHOOO!" Link yelled. "WHEEE—GACK!"

"WE'RE GUNNA DIE!" Vaati screeched, arms clasped so tightly around Link's neck that he couldn't breathe. "WEREGUNNADIEWEREGUNNADIEWEREGUNNADIE!!!"

_Fwush_! _Ka-thunk_! Thankfully, the cart soon reached the bottom and leveled itself out again, only to come to an abrupt halt at the track's metal stopper. The cart had been moving at such an incredible speed that it toppled over frontward, throwing Link and Vaati onto the floor in front of it.

"Ahhh—ack!" Just as Link had been able to take a breath again, Vaati landed on top of him and forced it out of him. For an awkward moment, neither of them moved. And perhaps, in the deeper recesses of their minds, neither of them _wanted_ to move.

At last, Vaati recovered his breath and rolled off of Link to lie, panting on the floor. "D-Do me a favor," he pleaded between gasps. "Next time I say 'I want to go on an adventure with you'….please stab me!"

Link gasped for breath as well and slowly sat up to glare at him. "Yeah…thanks for choking me to death! You're a sorcerer, for crying out loud! You could've just made us float or something!"

Vaati obviously hadn't heard his words, because all he could do was stare up at the ceiling. "I'm alive…" he marveled. "I'm alive…I'm alive…"

Link sat and waited for the shock to wear off before looking around the room to see where they were supposed to go next. They were in a small room, rather common of cavernous dungeons, with one locked door at the end. One squatting statue in the rough likeness of a monkey held its arms up as if shaking a fist at them.

Vaati stood up behind Link and scrunched his face at it. "What is _that_?"

"A statue," Link stated, staring back at him. Now Vaati was the one asking questions about things that should be obvious. "We have to do something to it so it'll give us the key to that door." He stepped next to the statue and yanked on its arm. "Nope. The answer's not 'pull its arm down'. Maybe there's something underneath it…"

Before Link could even squat down to start pulling it out, Vaati walked straight past him. "Why even bother?" He extended an arm towards the lock on the door and slowly, a silver light materialized in his palm. A moment later, a very solid, very real silver key was clutched in his hand. Before Link could even stop gaping, Vaati inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. The key disappeared again after it had been used, but the sorcerer couldn't help but gloat over at him. "Ta-da."

"Geez!" Link leaped to his feet and hurried to Vaati's side in the doorway. "Who needs the stupid little statues when you've got a skeleton key! I wish I'd had you in all the other dungeons I went through!"

Vaati chuckled. "But I was the reason you had to go through all those dungeons in the first place."

Link smiled back at him. "This time, it'll be a lot quicker! I can't wait! We'll have that Metal Element in no time!"

_Clang_!

"…I spoke too soon."

Thick metal bars had shot down over the door they had just come through.

"Oh, that's no problem," Vaati offered. "I can just melt those away."

"No," Link replied, his voice steady and guarded. He slipped his sword out of its sheath and held it at the ready. "That means something is about to attack us, and it doesn't want us escaping."

Vaati immediately stiffened and pulled out his sword as well.

For a peaceful moment, all was silent. Then, with a gentle _plop_, something dropped from the ceiling. It looked like just a gelatinous mound of gray goop, but it soon rose up into an oval ball with two crazily twirling yellow eyes and a permanent grin of insanity. It was joined by one, two, then fourteen others exactly like it as they dropped lazily off the ceiling.

Vaati laughed at them. "What the heck are these things?! It's like someone stuck a jar of jelly in a zapping machine! Look, they're hopping up and down. Aw, they're dancing!" Vaati began to hop up and down in imitation, but Link silenced his pleasure with a low, growling voice.

"Spiky chuchus," he hissed. "I _hate_ spiky chuchus."

Vaati's smile drooped and he stopping hopping. "Why? They look cute!" And then, he had his answer. One little gray creature hopped up to his side, and several large, pointy spikes erupted out of every angle of its body. "Aaah!" Vaati clutched a spot on his waist where one of the chuchu's spikes had stabbed him. "Okay—_now_ I see why you hate them!"

With combined jibbers of excitement, all the chuchus hopped forward towards them, dispelling their spikes in hopes of catching one of them in the snares. Link dodged out of the way, and this time, Vaati was smart enough to put up a defense barrier around himself. As soon as the chuchu nearest him retracted its spikes, Link slashed furiously at it. It squealed and exploded in a poof of smoke.

"You can't hurt them while their spikes are out!" Link called over to Vaati. "So get them as soon as they drop their spikes!"

Link continued to dodge and slash at the chuchus whenever they relaxed their spikes. Unfortunately, there were so many of them that they cornered him once and hit him for a good amount of damage. Vaati targeted multiple chuchus at once and released balls of destructive blue energy at them once they dropped their defenses.

Soon, they had finished them all off, and used a few dropped heart-shaped containers of life energy to heal themselves. It was the first time Vaati had used an outside magic source to heal himself, and it felt strange to let the heart swirl around him and close up his wound. At least he didn't have to use up any of his own magical energy.

Link smiled once he had been healed. "That wasn't so bad, now was it? We're all warmed up now!" He glanced over at Vaati in concern. "Though I wished you'd tried to use your sword instead of killing them all with magic. It would've been good practice for you. And you need to save up your magic for the boss battle."

"Sorry," Vaati quietly replied, exhilarated by the whole experience. "Next time, I'll try not to use magic."

The bars across the doors systematically rolled up in unison, and they exited out the door on the opposite side of the room. The next room contained only a few monsters shaped like bombs and a wide, bottomless abyss. Unfortunately, the next door was on the other side of this abyss.

"What are those?" Vaati asked again, pointing nervously towards the living bomb-creatures. "I bet they're dangerous too, huh?"

Link nodded. "Don't let them get next to you, or they'll explode. It's best to take them out from a distance." Link rustled in his pack and pulled out his bow and arrows.

Vaati clutched his sword nervously and stared down at one of the creatures as it steadily approached his position.

"Hah!" _Kerboom_! Link loosed an arrow, which hit one of the creatures, causing it to erupt in smoke and flames. He took aim at another one.

Vaati stepped backwards as the bomb-creature advanced. What was he supposed to do? If he hit it with his sword, it might hurt him…

"…Ugh!" Finally, he just flung the sword forward, releasing it and letting it fly off towards the enemy.

_Kerboom_!

Link turned his head, just as he had destroyed the last one. "What? Why didn't you throw one of your magic energy balls at it?"

"You told me not to use magic!" Vaati protested, stepping forward to retrieve his sword.

Link sighed, in a "what am I going to do with you?" way.

Now came the real challenge. Link stared at the abyss for a moment, sizing it up. Strong winds were swirling over it, but he decided it was much too wide a gap even to be able to cross with the Roc's Cape. He glanced back at Vaati. Even if he could cross it with the cape, he wouldn't be able to take him with him. He needed a Roc's Cape for two.

"Great," he desperately stated. "This is too wide to jump across… And I don't have Ezlo to use as a parachute and ride the wind across…"

Vaati stepped up next to him and started giggling again. "You…used Ezlo as a _parachute_?! Aheeheehee…he never told me that!"

Link grimly frowned. "Well, that's not going to help us at all now, so I don't know how we're going to cross this." He sighed. "I know I told you to try to save your magic, but do you think you can float us across or something?"

Vaati's laughter slowly abated, to be replaced by a mysterious smile. "Oh, I can do better than that. And it won't even take up much magical energy! Just watch!" With a simple circular swirl of his hand, the stream of wind flowing across the abyss twirled and joined together into one massive jet stream.

Link gaped at him. "You did that so easily…"

Vaati just continued to smile. "I'm not called a wind mage for nothing. Now hop in!"

To Link's continual amazement, Vaati threw himself off the cliff and into the wind tunnel. It perfectly propelled him upwards and over onto the other side. "Now it's your turn!" he beckoned to him.

Link stared into the whirlwind. "I don't know about this… I can't do magic like you…"

"You don't need to!" Vaati insisted. "Just jump in! It'll blow you over here!"

Link was still a little nervous, but finally trusted him enough to hop in. A few minutes later, he landed safely next to Vaati on the other side of the abyss. This whirlwind was obviously stronger than the ones he'd previously had to use parachute-Ezlo to ride.

And so, they continued onwards through the doorway. It opened out into another narrow tunnel, like the entrance, and they spent a good amount of time just following it. It began to grow darker as they journeyed deeper and deeper into it, and Link had to pull out his lantern. Thankfully, it also started to cool off.

Vaati buttoned his collar again. "This better not lead to another one of those mine carts."

Since there weren't any monsters crawling along this tunnel, Link had a few moments for quiet reflection. "You called yourself a wind mage," he finally spoke up, shattering the silence between them. "Like that's something everyone calls you…but I've never heard you called that before."

"Oh." Vaati felt like an idiot for not properly explaining the term. "I forgot to tell you—Ezlo calls me a wind mage. Because I can control the wind quite easily, and that's something most sorcerers take years to properly learn. I guess I just have a natural talent for it, or something."

Link cocked his head at him. _That_ was interesting. He was just about to ask him more about his magical talents, when the tunnel came to a sudden end and folded out into the largest room they'd encountered yet. Vaati's eyes widened, and he even pushed his bang out of his other eye for a moment to take it all in.

"Yes!" Link exclaimed. "This is it! We're here! The center of the cavern!"

The two of them were standing on the top of a high cliff. Beyond its edge was a vast basin of water the size of a small lake, with an overarching ceiling. Stalactites grew off sections of it, steadily dripping water. Several other cliffs just like they were on appeared on the opposite sides and diagonally across.

Link automatically broke into a sprint. This was it! Now, they were closer than ever to the apparent location of the Metal Element. He felt positive that it was behind one of those doors on the other side. He'd never gotten to explore any of them.

"…oh, great," Link suddenly skidded to a halt as he reached the cliff's edge. "Where are all the floating rocks? We can't get across—you can't possibly create a big enough jet stream to push us all the way over there." He sighed. "We're going to have to swim to the other side."

Vaati shook his head when he finally caught up with him. He pointed out towards a waterfall's edge in the distance. "We can't swim there. The currents are too strong. We'd be sucked into the waterfall. I think I see a whirlpool near there too."

Link frowned. "So how are we going to get across? You can't teleport anymore…"

Then, as soon as the question came out of his mouth, it was answered for him. The water just on the other side of the cliff began to swell. Vaati froze and fixated his gaze on it.

"What?" Link asked.

"Behind you…"

Link turned, just in time to see the creature emerge from the lake. At first, all you could see was a smooth, round, pink thing. Then a smaller smooth, round thing covered by hair. Then the head surfaced…and the long brontosaurus neck. Link and Vaati blinked in exasperation. Both of them had completely forgotten.

An unusual creature was floating before them. It had a round body with flat flippers, a stubby, useless tail, a long neck, and a round head. It was a shiny white color, although its skin was occasionally speckled with pink. Its shaggy mane was pink too, and ran almost the whole length of its neck. It had long, floppy ears resembling a dog's, and it stared back at them with bright pink eyes. Link and Vaati blinked at it. It blinked back.

"…Gleerok!" they finally burst out in unison.

The creature cooed happily in a soft, echoing voice and nodded.

"That's it!" Link realized, an ecstatic smile breaking onto his face. "We could ride on her back!"

Gleerok stared back at them, a look of confusion and slight fear creeping into her eyes. "_Gruu_?" she asked. "_Ru-ru gru rururu_?"

Vaati stepped slightly forward and turned his head up to look into the creature's eyes. "_Ruguguru_," he replied. "_Rururu-ru gururu ruuu ru ru._"

Gleerok blinked a little and lowered her head to get a better look at him. "_Ruruuu_…" she answered.

"_Gururu_," Vaati told her. "_Ru ru ru guuu, rugu ru ru-ru-ru_."

Link could only stare in fascination at the two of them. He turned back to his sorcerer partner with goggle-eyes. "You can talk to her?!"

Vaati nodded at him. "_Ru_." Apparently, he was stuck in Gleerok-ese for the moment.

He sat back and listened to them cooing to each other for a few more minutes in amazement. Was the ability to speak any language also part of the picori magic?

Finally, Vaati turned back around to face Link. "She says she'll be able to carry us across the currents, but you have to sit up front. She doesn't really trust me, but she trusts you completely, and she'll trust me only if you're "keeping a control on me" or something…it was a strange phrase I couldn't understand." He could see Vaati's ears beginning to tip downwards.

"Well, c'mon, let's hop on," he suddenly replied, trying to keep his depression at bay.

Gleerok lowered her neck towards Link as he approached and gave him a little nudge. "Yes." He smiled. "I'm glad to see you too."

The creature moved just a little bit closer and turned to move her back close to the rock. Slowly and gently, the two moved on, Link taking the position closest to the creature's neck. Her back felt smooth and soft at the same time, like the back of a dolphin or whale. And then, with the slight tug of momentum, Gleerok pushed off, and their journey across the lake had begun.

(-)

"Hmm…I was thinking of just going straight across to the platform on the opposite side, but with all these other cliffs, I'm not sure if that's the right decision. What do you think, Vaati?"

_Slisshhhh, Splooshhhh…_

"Agh…"

Vaati had been insistently silent throughout the "ferry" ride. Probably lost in his thoughts and memories. He faced away from Link on the precarious, sloping side of Gleerok's back. If the creature had to stop short for any reason, he'd probably go flying into the water. He didn't care one bit.

Link's mind also wandered back to when Gleerok had been a menacing creature with sharp teeth and fire breath. He'd had to flip her hard shell over in order to damage her vulnerable underside. Thankfully, after he'd defeated her, she'd been freed of her curse and returned to this original form. "She must've been cursed," Ezlo had said. "Like Princess Zelda." Cursed by Vaati.

"Well, I guess we'll just go this way for now," Link answered himself. "This is the way she's automatically heading anyway. Maybe _she_ knows where the Metal Element is."

After they were about halfway through the cavern pond, a terrible, familiar noise reached Link's ears. It wasn't the sloshing water around them…and it wasn't Gleerok's continual soft coos. It was Vaati's soft sobbing. Somehow, he knew this was going to happen again.

"Vaati…" he sighed. "Come on. Don't think about it. You're hurting yourself again."

"I deserve it," the sorcerer muttered between sobs. There was some kind of strange twang in his voice—almost as if there were layers to it. It was as if his voice was wrapped in magic. "I…I destroyed this place, turning it into a river of fire. I turned this lovely, gentle creature into a terrible monster. I know how that feels. Having your body twist and transform, completely out of your control. I…I can't believe I…when I looked here, I gave her a punishment. I…I can't believe I did that…it's awful. And just because I was frustrated…"

Gleerok finally anchored at the other side of the lake and let Link and Vaati off. She lowered her long neck towards them. Link looked up, expecting another grateful nudge, and Vaati faced downwards, trying to hide himself underneath his bang. If only he hadn't insisted on tying his hair back…

The creature's head moved closer and closer…and just when Link was expecting an affectionate nudge, it didn't come. Gleerok was moving towards Vaati. She bent down and pressed her face against his. With a light "chuu", Gleerok kissed Vaati's cheek, mopping up his tears.

"_It's okay_," her soft voice said to him, though in her own language. "_I see that I can trust you now. I can look into others' hearts when they are open to me._" With that, she moved her head down to nudge against his bony chest. "_And I can see that yours is heavy with pain and guilt. You wish you had never done your evil deeds and wish there was some way to take it all back. You are on a quest for redemption. That is a noble cause. So I will forgive you_."

Vaati couldn't stop his tears. Now, he was crying in happiness. He moved his arms up to wrap them around Gleerok's neck in a hug. "Thank you," he said, and Link realized what the voice-layer was. Vaati was using magic to summon languages. He was speaking two languages at the same time. "Thank you so very much. I don't deserve it, but I'll accept it for your sake. I wish there was something I could do for you in return… I'll do anything, I will!"

"_Then I have a task for you. Behind this door lies a terrible monster. It was released here by a fearsome man…a man in black robe. Since it has stolen into our home, it has locked the rest of my kind away. Only I and a few others remain. We had been guarding the Metal Element, but this creature stole that away too._"

"Have you seen the monster?" Vaati asked her, trying to get some information about what they were going up against. "What kind of monster is it?"

"_It is another fire-dwelling creature, mirrored after your own curse. But that is all I can describe of it. I have only seen pieces of it and never all at once… Please…you must defeat this creature and recover my friends_!"

"Of course," Vaati assured her. "We'll get your friends back, as well as the Metal Element, no matter what!" The confusion on Link's face was apparent.

"_Good luck_." Then, with this final wish, Gleerok retreated back into the water, as if the liquid was swallowing her, until there was nothing left, and the lake's surface was still once again.

Link began to advance towards the door, but froze when he remembered the word "monster". "Um…what exactly was all that about anyway? You can speak two languages at once?!"

"Of course," Vaati told him. "Ezlo can even speak three. But, anyway, she said that there's a monster behind that door that had captured the Metal Element and all of her friends. It was brought here by a weird man in a black robe."

"The man in the black robe!" Link gritted his teeth. "I have a feeling we'll be meeting with him eventually. I just hope we can get the Secondary Elements together before he becomes a real threat."

Vaati stared straight ahead at the large, double-sided door before them quite fearfully.

"Well, here we go!" Link called, trying to sound casual about this. "It's time to free Gleerok's friends and obtain the first Secondary Element! Are you ready?!"

"At least if I die, I can be remembered as having died in a battle against evil."

Link rolled his eyes. "Will you stop being such a pessimist? You won't get anywhere with that attitude!"

"Please…make sure to look after Ezlo for me…"

"Oh, geez…" At last, Link just seized Vaati's hand, dragging him after him as he stepped up to the door and flung it open. "Yes, we're going into a tough battle. We're going to fight…and we're going to win!"

The tall double doors collapsed inwards, and the two of them stepped into an empty arena. It was just a plain, circular island of rock amidst a roomful of lava, like the lake just outside. Link and Vaati stepped onto it from a bridge leading from the doorway. Just as with chuchu brigade before, solid metal bars slammed down over the door, locking them in. All was terribly silent.

"We have to walk out into the open," Link explained. "It won't show itself until we're in a vulnerable position for it to attack us."

"Y-You're really used to this, aren't you?" Vaati was still gripping tightly to his hand as they stepped further onto the center of the rock cliff. When he looked at the other side of the room, he thought he saw a barred-off cavern in the distance. Maybe that's where Gleerok's friends were being imprisoned! He was just about to speak up and point out the area to Link, when a terrible eruption of noise completely silenced him.

Something long and red shot out of the lava pool nearest them, raining balls of fire down on the platform. Link lifted his shield to protect the two of them, and a few lava drops slid harmlessly down it. The cliff shuddered completely through as the creature landed in front of them. Link slowly lowered his shield, bringing the creature into full view. Vaati wanted him to lift it back up again.

The monster's long body snaked behind it across the platform, tail dipping into the lava. It had several sharp talons, hardened scales, horns, and a protruding maw containing threateningly sharp teeth. Its blazing aqua eyes stared down at them as it lifted itself up on its front claws.

"A…dragon?" Link questioned.

The dragon let loose another horrific roar, as if confirming his theory. Then, it immediately launched itself full-speed at them.

"Run!" Link yelled, shoving Vaati in the opposite direction.

"Link!" Vaati struggled to regain his balance and snapped back around.

Link courageously stared down the creature, extending his sword towards it.

"_Link_!!!" Vaati screamed. "You idiot! You can't…"

Just as the dragon lowered its head and began to form a column of fire within its mouth, Link ducked and rolled swiftly towards it. As it charged straight ahead, Link slipped underneath it and stabbed mercilessly at its underside. _Clang_! His sword only met with more rock-like scales.

The dragon reeled itself in, realizing that it had missed Link and turned its head, focusing itself on another target.

Vaati's heart jumped. It was coming for him now! Shakily, he drew his sword. His head quickly shuffled through all the attack spells he knew, trying to find the most powerful.

This time, the monster had wised up. It remained in its current place, but fired a thick stream of fire at Vaati. The sorcerer barely had enough time to run and dodge out of the way.

Link had just gotten back to his feet, panting, and met with him when he dodged. "Even its underside is impenetrable!" he exclaimed. "We're going to have to find some other weak point!"

"What other weak point could there _be_?"

Link never got a chance to try to answer his partner's question. The monster had noticed their position and swiped its long, heavy tail at them. While Vaati dove to the cliff's edge and hung off of it in order to evade the sweeping tail, Link actually charged straight at the flicking appendage. Desperately, he lifted his sword and attempted to slash at the advancing tail.

_Clank_!

"Aaaaaaaaugh!!!"

Link's body flew backwards with the force. Apparently, the tail wasn't the answer.

"Link!!!" Vaati immediately pushed himself back onto the ledge and ran to Link's injured body. "Link, are you okay?!"

Link groaned and sat halfway up. Though a small trail of blood flowed down the side of his head, he mustered the strength to call out. "Look out!!!"

While Vaati had been distracted, the dragon had crept up on them again, going into another devastating charge. Vaati turned around and noticed it just in time. Caught off guard, he let loose the first spell that flittered into his mind.

Link suddenly found himself shooting straight upwards into the air. Vaati stood effortlessly beside him…but they weren't on the ground. They hovered a few feet above the monster's head, enveloped in a swirling tornado of wind. Link's eyes widened in fascination. It was exactly like the jet stream that had helped them cross the abyss earlier—except this one was much more powerful, propelling them upwards into mid-air.

The dragon shook its head in confusion at their disappearance, but before it could figure out where they had gone, they landed on its other side, completely unharmed.

Link struggled to his feet as the dragon turned itself around to attack them again. "What…what was that?!"

"Its forehead!" Vaati cried, seemingly out of nowhere. "That's its weak point! I saw it as we were flying over it. It's got one small hole above its eyes where its armor is cracked!"

The dragon reared back and prepared to spew a massive blast of fire at them.

"How are we supposed to…?!"

"Hit it with your sword!!!" Vaati yelled, and before Link even knew what was going on, he was hurtling through the air on another powerful whirlwind. He gritted his teeth as he just barely skirted the edge of the monster's fire stream. Then, as soon as he came into close contact with its head, he stabbed his sword straight down into the small hole on the creature's forehead.

It immediately roared in pain and reeled backwards. With a sickening splash of lava, it toppled backwards into the pool from where it had come.

Link floated gently back to the cliff's surface. For a moment, everything was silent once again.

"We did it!" A smile broke over Vaati's face.

"No," Link cautiously informed him. "That was too easy. It can't have been defeated already."

And of course, he was right. The dragon recovered a moment later, and burst out from the lava pool, roaring with rage.

"Ah," Link replied, wiping some of the blood off his head with his sleeve. "That's more like it."

Link and Vaati repeated this process two more times, luring the dragon to charge at them, then Vaati propelling Link up to the weak spot on its forehead. But eventually, the thing got smart and began attacking them with its flame from the safety of its lava pit. Vaati had to propel Link further out in order to reach its forehead, and this was not helped after one more hit, when the dragon began attacking him instead.

The dragon had somehow figured out that Vaati was the one controlling Link's floating body and directed its flame attack towards him. Vaati couldn't try to dodge it, for fear that he would loose his fix on Link and send his partner plummeting into the lava pit below.

"Vaati!!!" Link cried, turning his head briefly back towards the sorcerer as he careened towards the dragon's head one last time. What was he going to do?! He had no way of defending himself…

The wind pushing him onward suddenly increased in force. He was trying to hold on…to push him to the weak spot before the attack had a chance to hit. It was the only way. Link faced forwards again and gritted his teeth, readying his sword. He had made a promise. Vaati wouldn't be hurt—not if he had anything to do about it!

As Link zoomed like an armored rocket towards the dragon's forehead, Vaati closed his eyes and tensed every last muscle in his body, bracing for the pain.

And then, everything happened all at once. The flames blasted past Vaati's body, sending him flying backwards, and Link fell, stabbing down with all his might into the dragon's weak spot.

It howled and roared, terribly, but this time its screams didn't stop. Link leaped off of its head and back onto the platform. Slowly, its body began to harden, stone pieces crackling and consuming its entire length. Finally, when it had completely solidified and stood paralyzed above the lava, it burst into a thousand pieces of ash, which sprinkled over Link like celebratory confetti.

Immediately, Link snapped back to attention towards Vaati. He was rolling back and forth, weakly on the ground, putting out the fire that had ignited across his clothes and hair. Link dropped to his knees next to him. "…Vaati?" he slowly asked. "Vaati? Vaati, are you okay?"

The sorcerer rolled back around to look up at him. His skin was terribly blackened and burnt, and he was too exhausted from magic use to even attempt to heal himself. "Link?" he asked, voice croaking slightly. "We did it, right? We defeated it?"

"Yes, it's dead." Link frantically reached towards him, laying his hands over his face and his blackened, burnt clothes and hair. He couldn't stop his voice from trembling, and tears were threatening to break out from under his eyelids. "But…but you're…I promised to protect you. I said nothing would happen to you…"

"It's okay," Vaati replied, weakly. "It's not your fault. And…I'll be fine. O-Once I've rested. I'll have my…my magic back, and…then I can…heal…"

Now, tears were slipping out of the edge of Link's eyes, mingling with the dried blood on his neck. "No, Vaati! You're injured really badly! I…I can't stand to see you like this! I won't! I won't just sit here and watch you suffer!"

"_Gruuuuuuu_!"

Link had been so absorbed in trying to help Vaati that he hadn't noticed any of the changes that had been occurring around him. Once again, the lava pit surrounding their platform had cleansed itself into clear, cool water. The barred cavern at the other end had opened up—releasing six creatures looking exactly like Gleerok. Some had blue, green, or purple hair and skin splotches instead of pink, but all of them were gentle, dog-eared, aquatic creatures with long necks. They had been spreading themselves out at equal intervals around the platform, and once they were all lined up, they lifted their necks in unison and uttered that one basic syllable.

Link looked up and noticed a bright, almost holy silver light flitting and congregating in the center of the cavern above them. It slowly fitted together and compacted into a single object. It was a simple three-dimensional trapezoid with three inversed teardrop shapes extending off the end like claws…but it shone a brilliant, bright silver. The Metal Element. It floated down in a mystical bubble to Link's side…but Link didn't even glance at it.

"I owe this to you," Link whispered to Vaati through his tears. "You're the one that found its weak point—you're the one that made it possible for me to defeat that thing."

"We did it together," Vaati told him. "…But thank you."

And then, subtly, the creatures began to sing. Their soft, gentle voices blended together into one sweet, cooing melody. Their necks swayed together in time to the song. And something else began to appear. A round swirling spot curled into existence on the ground near them, and two additional objects formed from the light substance the creatures could summon. Two hearts rimmed by shiny, silver frames. These fell straight into Link's hands once they had solidified, and as he gazed into their depths, a smile began to poke through his tears.

"Heart Container…" he recognized. "There's…two of them! Vaati!" Renewed with hope, Link shoved one of the large, magical hearts into the injured sorcerer's arms. "Take this!"

Vaati turned his head down to look into the Heart Container, and almost instantly, it began to disperse into an essence of light once again. It swirled around, enveloping his body in light. It almost seemed to form a cocoon around his body, and finally, when it at last receded, Vaati was as good as new. His red eyes widened. He sat up and stared at his perfectly white skin…then his newly intact clothes and hair. He looked up at Link in pure awe.

Link had just used his own Heart Container. The trickle of blood on the side of his head had completely disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place. He smiled, and brushed the last remnants of tears from his cheeks.

Vaati began to laugh. And before they even knew it, they were enfolded in each other's arms. They squeezed each other so tightly that they couldn't even try to speak until the embrace was loosened a little.

"Wh-Why didn't you tell me about that?!" Vaati cried at last. "I wouldn't have been so afraid of getting hurt if I'd known that you get a full container of life energy at the end!"

"I didn't know that they'd make an extra one for you," Link replied. "Usually, there's only one." He squeezed Vaati into another hug again. "I'm just so relieved!!!"

Vaati chuckled slightly. "Yup. You worry too much."

At last, they pulled away a few moments later, and Link noticed Gleerok's friends around him and the Metal Element glimmering at his side. The two of them stood up to get a better look at their surroundings. "Did _they_ make those Heart Containers for us?" Link softly marveled.

"Thank you…" Vaati smiled up at the creatures, once again layering his voice to speak their language as well as Hylian.

The creatures bowed their necks together, indicating their gratitude, and nodded their heads towards the mystic essence.

Link finally scooped up the glowing essence, holding it hovering above his hand. "I'd nearly forgotten. It's the Metal Element! Finally! We've got the first of the Secondary Elements!"

Vaati turned back down to look at it. "We did it…we really did it… I helped to make this possible." He glowed with deep inner satisfaction. "I'm so happy…"

Link couldn't stop his smile as he guided Vaati over to the portal that would deposit them back outside the Fire Cave. "Me too. We're one step closer to saving Hyrule! One down…three to go!"


	5. Secrets

Yay! Here's another nice, long one for you! And fairly quickly too! That's two updates in one month! In other news, this story has just surpassed 100 pages! (Celebrates)

Anyway, I never meant for this chapter to be as long as it is. I just couldn't figure out where to make it end. I wanted it to end where it did, and so I just quickly breezed past parts of the story that I had originally intended to be longer (such as Vaati's list of good deeds, and having multiple town visits).

I had so much fun with this chapter, though. Lots of fluff and Vaati "torture". It just had to happen, eventually. Since the last chapter was mostly action with very little romance, this chapter's mostly romance with very little (if any) action. Happy Much Belated Valentine's Day! Once again, I worry that I'm doing the romance too fast, but they _do _need to start developing their feelings for each other and moving past just a few friendly nudges. I loved writing that scene just before the end! It's one of my favorites.

And thus we bring in Zelda. Though I'm expecting some negative reactions to her, I'm trying to make her not seem like an annoying obstacle or antagonist. Zelda has feelings too! There will be a lot more dealing with her next chapter.

And I repeat--just because this chapter was fast doesn't mean the next one will be. I feel a lazy spasm coming on...combined with schoolitis.

Link, Vaati, Zelda, those two random Deku scrubs, exc. belong to Nintendo...blah, blah, blah.

(-)

Chapter 5: Secrets

The descent of Mt. Crenel wasn't nearly as exciting. Link quickly informed the mountain picori of their victory, though he did it without shrinking. Vaati was shocked at how small Melta looked from a human perspective. Though he was bigger than any of the other picori, he could still easily pick him up with one hand.

Afterwards, they climbed down the shortcut to the Fire Cave and bypassed the rock wall altogether. Even so, it seemed colder than it had before. Maybe it just _felt_ colder since they'd been stifled in the heat of the Fire Cave for so long. Nevetheless, Vaati began to snuggle up against Link for warmth every time they camped out. Link began to enjoy it after a while. Sometimes, he would even stay awake a little longer, comforting himself by rubbing Vaati's back and petting his hair. Vaati enjoyed it just as much and would nudge against him, begging for affection.

"You remind me of a cat," Link told him one night as he was running fingers through his hair. "You curl up next to me at night, you like to be petted..."

"Purrr," Vaati replied, nudging his head up into Link's palm. "Purrrrrrrrrrr..."

Link chuckled and petted him some more.

While most of the trip passed exactly like this without incident, something _did _happen. And it was a very, very important thing at that.

(-)

That night, Link and Vaati were camped out on a small cliff just outside of a cave. The stars twinkled serenely around it like a domed enclosure. Link was already snoring softly, parts of his arms and legs sticking out from beneath his blanket. Vaati smiled amusedly back at him.

This was a very unusual situation. Normally, Vaati was the first one asleep, being tired and magic-drained, but today had been a very peaceful journey, and he hadn't used much magic at all. He felt wide-awake, and so he decided to just slip off by himself and have a few moments to think.

He sat towards the edge of the cliff and looked up at the stars, trying to retreat into his mind and figure things out. Mostly, he thought about the dungeon they'd just completed and what lie ahead of them next. Which element would they search for next, and what would they have to go through in order to obtain it? _Please, no more mine-carts..._

But then, his thoughts turnd to Link. _He's so nice...I've never had someone like him before. He always makes me feel happy whenever I'm around him. He's getting a bit overprotective, but...but he really likes me. I've never felt so...so... I don't know. It feels good, whatever it is. Probably because I've never had a friend before..._

A few images flashed through his mind--approaching other picori with timid hope in his heart...and then watching them make up excuses and shudder away. Playing in a dirt-box with a few other little boys...until they looked into his eyes and hurried home to their mommies, never to be seen again. Once, he remembered cutting his hair really short in order to put his cap over it and hide the fact that it was purple. But he still couldn't do anything about his skin and eyes, so he eventually just gave up and let it grow out again. Then, his frustration with being so weak, helpless, and unloved...

Vaati sighed. _But that's all over now. So why think about it? I've got a friend, now. ...I'm still pretty weak and helpless, but... Link's so strong. I could never be as strong as him. He just risks his life for the good of the world. He's on this journey to save the world. I'm only on this journey to get people to like me. I really am selfish..._

He lowered his head closer towards his lap. _It's weird that we're such good friends, actually. He hero and the villain... Maybe...maybe he's only my friend because he feels bad for me and feels he has to help me. _

He lifted his head again and stared into the stars. For some reason, they looked like they were merging together. _He...he and I...shouldn't be together at all. _

In a sudden flash of light, Link was standing before him.

Vaati leaped to his feet. "But--but you were just sleeping!" he cried. "I saw you...you were fast asleep..." He abruptly turned around, only to notice the rumpled, empty blanket next to his own red cloak.

"Yes," Link spoke up, a strange smile passing over his face. "It's me. I heard everything that you said. And you're absolutely right."

Vaati blinked, confusedly. "But...but I didn't say that out loud. ...Did I?" Suddenly, he wasn't so sure.

Link nodded and crossed his arms. "You were saying that the only reason I'm friends with you is because I just have the hero's intuition to help everyone. And that we should never have become friends in the first place."

"Yeah..." Vaati slowly agreed. "That's...what I was thinking. Or saying..."

"And that's completely right. I never really liked you as a person. I'm a hero. I just help people. That doesn't mean I like them."

Vaati cocked his head at him. "Well...I guess that makes sense." He lowered it back down again and began to turn away. "I should just leave. I don't...I'm only here for my own selfish rerasons, anyway..."

"And what do you plan on doing once you get back home?" Link taunted. "You've got no friends. Everyone hates you. You'll never be strong enough to take over Ezlo's positoin, and even if you did, no one would trust you."

"That's...that's true..." Vaati's soft voice admitted. "I have nowhere to go, nothing I can do..."

There was the grinding metal _shring_ of Link unsheathing his sword from his back. "...So why don't you just let me kill you?!"

Vaati's eyes popped wide open, and he whipped back around just in time to dodge Link's swipe at him. The "hero" swore and swung back around to face the terrified Vaati.

"N-No..." Tears were beginning to squeeze out of Vaati's eyes. "I thought...I thought you..."

Link regrouped himself and began to charge at him again.

Vaati blinked. A voice was speaking to him from out of nowhere. _I'm so relieved!_ It cried out...and he immediately thought of when Link had held him so tightly after their battle with the dragon. _I was worried about you. Are you okay? I got you something..._ These were all things that Link had said. He was sure of it. But now, Link was stabbing furiously at him, a horrible scowl twisting his face.

Suddenly, Vaati remembered being in Link's arms. Feeling his fingers brushing, lovingly through his hair. That soft, gentle voice he spoke in...and those bright, deep blue eyes. _No, Vaati...It's okay. I think you're beautiful. You're so beautiful..._

_Clank_! This time, Link missed, but Vaati hadn't moved an inch.

"No," he stated, solidifying his voice. It had to be. This couldn't be true. "You're not Link."

Link snarled up at him. "What do you _mean_, I'm not Link! Look at me! Can't you recognize me?! Or are you too stupid to even see correctly?"

Vaati shook his head, and he set his face into an angry glare. "Link wouldn't say that to me. Link really likes me...he really cares about me. He holds me...he calls me beautiful and he makes me feel better. He wouldn't do that if he didn't. ...So you're not Link!"

Link reeled his sword back and charged at him again...but this time, he began to fall away. Strangely enough, he was beginning to liquefy. As he shot forward, his legs dissolved into a streak of colors trailing behind him. Then, his arms joined the anomalous wisps of colors, until he was just a face surrounded by a cloud of colored essences. Its malicious expression glared up at him with spite.

Vaati looked down and met its gaze with narrowing eyes.

And then, it burst into another colorful cloud. The cloud slowy faded out and blew harmlessly away over the cliff.

Vaati turned and watched it disappear into thin air. _What_ was _that? _He wondered. _Some kind of evil ghost pretending to be Link?_

He blinked, and in that sudden split-second, Link appeared right in front of him again.

"Augh!" He jumped back in shock. "Link!"

The biggest, most surprised and delighted smile lit up Link's face. "Vaati!!!" He jumped forward and threw his arms around him. "Vaati, you did it!!!"

Vaati stared down at him. "Did what? And where did you come from?"

Link squeezed him tighter. "Oh, Vaati, I've been here the whole time. I watched you. You...you did it!!! You stopped it!!! You broke out of your attack all by yourself!!!"

Vaati was still in a cloudy, half-conscious state. "Attack? What... Oh! Attack! That was an attack! Of course!" He looked down at Link, who was squeezing his chest and leaning his head over his shoulder, and bent down to squeeze him back. His face went into his messy, fluffy, blong curls and he smiled, warmly. "I knew I was right."

"Yes, you were," Link mumbled into his hair. "I heard everything you said."

Vaati felt his face prickle. _Everything? Even that part about really liking me? And calling me beautiful? _

"We should celebrate!" Link suddenly decided, pulling away with an instant vigor. "You want some blueberry pie? I'll go make you some blueberry pie!"

Vaati sweat-dropped. "And where are you going to get blueberries and pie crust from?"

Link lifted a thoughtful finger to his mouth. "Er... Then, let's dance around the campfire! Yeah! I'll provide the music!" With that, he seized Vaati's hands and began to pull him along in a circular skip. "Fooooooooorr...he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow..." Link began to bray in a horribly off-key voice.

Vaati winced. "Please...no singing..."

"For he's a jolly good felllllll--oooooooo! THAT NOBODY CAN DENY!!!"

Two Deku scrubs in a ledge below them suddenly awoke with a start and scurried away as fast as their little legs could take them.

Vaati ripped away from him to squish his long ears in. "Link..." By now, Link had noticed his disappearance and turned back towards him, gigantic smile shrinking a little. "It's one o' clock in the morning. I just want to go to bed..."

"Okay," Link finally agreed. He reached out and slowly brought his hands back down from his ears. "We'll celebrate tomorrow then."

So soon enough, Vaati found himself snuggling next to Link's body underneath his cloak once again...and that was really all the reward he needed.

(-)

"Left! Now right! And right! And _jump_!"

Vaati leaped into the air and swung his sword backwards. An instant later, the sword was flying across the rock behind him, and he was standing in the exact same spot as before. He panted deeply and slumped over the pile of rocks that was his "enemy".

Link frowned and stepped forward to retrieve the sword. "That'll be all the training we do today," he decided. "Though you need to make sure to hold onto your sword at all times. It could've flown off and straight into me."

"I'm...sorry..." Vaati apologized for the millionth time.

"It's alright." Link came back to his side and began to rub his back. "I can tell you're trying your hardest. The jump attack is one of the more complicated sword techniques, anyway."

The two of them sat down under the shade of a large tree to rest. By now, they'd reached the land just at the base of Mt. Crenel, and Link had decided to take some time for training Vaati, since they hadn't yet decided what to do next. And that was exactly what they were doing now.

Link was juggling the Metal Element back and forth between his hands as they tried to figure it out. "Electricity is closest to us," Link once again considered.

"Actually, Darkness is closer," Vaati corrected him. "We're closer to Royal Valley right now than Hyrule Town. Light is on the complete opposite end of Hyrule."

"So you think we should go after the Darkness Element next?" Link stuffed the glowing Metal Element back into his pack and began preparing to head off again.

"I don't know." Vaati's brow knitted with worry. "The problem is--I don't know the exact location of any of the other Secondary Elements. I knew the Metal Element was in the Fire Cave because that's where the Fire Element was. I know the Darkness Element and the Electricity Element are in Royal Valley and Hyrule Town, but I have no idea _where_ in Royal Valley and Hyrule Town."

Link grimly nodded. "It's probably not a good idea to wander aimlessly around a haunted graveyard."

Vaati turned down and gripped the sides of his head. "But I don't know what's worse--wandering aimlessly around a haunted graveyard or wandering aimlessly around Hyrule Town!"

Link set his face into a grim line. "You can't do anything to find the locations? Like what you did before at your house?"

Vaati shook his head, despondently. "I need a map. And it took me a long time before just to get these general locations. More specific ones would require more magic. If I was stronger..." His body was begining to tremble slightly.

Link rustled in his pack and pulled out his map of Hyrule. "I _do_ have a map," he offered. "You could try it, at least. Who knows? Maybe you _have _gotten a little stronger. _I _think you have, at least physically."

Vaati looked up and slowly considered the map. His eyes wandered down towards the stuffed fabric sack that Link had pulled it from. "Oh!" The red of his one visible eye suddenly grew brighter. "Duh! The Metal Element! We've got the Metal Element! I could use its power!"

Link pulled the shining silver, clawed trapezoid back out and gently held it out.

Vaati pulled himself up into a kneeling position to accept it. "This is perfect!" he realized. "Since it's one of the Secondary Elements, it resonates with the others of its kind, even across great distances. This can help me to pinpoint the exact locations!"

Link smiled. "See, I knew you'd be able to do it. You underestimate yourself too much."

Vaati's heart soared with newfound hope as Link once again patted him on the head. "You'll have to give me a little while, though. It could take a few hours."

"A few _hours_?" Link glanced around himself, wondering what he was going to do for all that time. "Well...I guess I'll go replentish our supply of rupees. I need a few arrows, too..."

Vaati nodded to him, then immediately spread the map out in front of him to begin his research.

Link was partly curious as to what exactly he did to discover the Elements' locations, but he knew he probably wouldn't understand any of it anyway.

Just before he disappeared behind a rock column, he thought he heard Vaati chanting, once again in that mysterious, indescernable language of magic. _I don't understand..._ he thought, solemnly. _How can he think he's so weak and useless? I would never be able to do magic--even if I were magical. All that study and memorization..._

He sighed, turned, and tried to concentrate on cutting up grass. _Well...he broke out of his attack...so at least he's starting to believe what I tell him. Yup...slowly, I'll rebuild his self-esteem. _

(-)

"I have some bad news."

Link peered down at the map nestled in the grass in front of them. The Metal Element was pressed over its center. Vaati was staring at it with a look of pure terror.

"I couldn't get Darkness, but I got Electricity. Probably because Metal is more closely tied with Electricity--like Darkness is with Light. Anyway..." Here, Vaati pulled back to look into Link's eyes with a determined intensity. "You're going to have to go get it by yourself."

Fear stabbed at Link's heart. "No," he insisted. "I'm not leaving you anywhere. I don't want you to be alone."

"I _can_ look after myself," Vaati argued back. "You don't have to hover over me all the time. Really, it seems like you think I'm completely helpless."

"I...I never meant it that way. I don't think you're helpless. But...but what if you have a different attack? You still haven't learned to break out of the transformation one. What if you run into a traveler or something? That's the one instance when I think you're helpless. You won't stand up for yourself."

The two of them lapsed into silence, and Vaati averted his eyes again. "Y-Yeah...I don't really want to leave you either. But..."

"So where _is _the Electricity Element?" Link demanded. "I know it's in Hyrule Town, and you don't want to go back in there..."

Vaati shook his head and turned down towards the map. "I was quite a bit off in assuming it was Hyrule _Town_...it's in Hyrule _Castle_."

Link was actually a bit surprised by this. _How come I didn't know about it before, then? As far as I know, I've been everywhere in the castle that there _is_ to go. For that matter, how come _Vaati_ didn't know about it? Weird... But at least, now I know what he means... _Only Zelda knew of Vaati's innocence--the king and the castle guards still thought of him as a villain.

"That's not so bad," Link realized, working out a plan aloud. "Zelda knows what happened to you. If we can only get you past the guards and to Zelda undetected, she can stand up for you."

"But they'd immediately attack me if they saw me!" Vaati protested. "They'd throw me in the dungeons! I'd have to become invisible, and that can't last forever..."

"So, you need a good disguise," Link decided. "I'm sure we'd be able to whip up another disguise for you, especially with all the rupees I just gathered!"

Vaati only looked even more worried. "It's not going to work. Remember what happened with the _last_ disguise? I'm not all that eager to get into a disguise again. It just attracts more attention, which I don't need."

Link crossed his legs and put his head in his hand. _A good disguise for Vaati...something that will help him blend in... That's pretty impossible, seeing that his skin is so pale. I don't think his hair and eyes are that much of a problem--I've seen a few people with weird-colored hair, and you wouldn't notice the color of his eyes unless you're looking into them. But his skin... Hmm... What if...? _

Slowly, a sly, triumphant smile began to slide across his face. "I've got it," he decided. "I know how you can become perfectly inconspicuous."

(-)

_Why are we in a tailor's shop? _Strangely enough, Vaati found himself looking around a small building, littered with scissors, measuring tape, and fabric. A few completed suits and dresses hung on display hooks near the front window as advertisements. _Does he intend to make me look like a nobleman or something ? _More and more, he was finding himself the unwilling victim of Link's schemes. What in the world could he be thinking now?

Link was standing at the back counter, talking to the tailor while Vaati, invisible, was simply observing the plethora of fabrics available. "Yeah, I'm going to take that one," Vaati heard Link's voice float from the desk. "You can box it up with the shoes. You said it's a small, right?"

Vaati turned around to try to see what sort of disguise Link had picked out for him, but by the time he did, the tailor had already boxed it and was placing the box back on the counter.

"Yup, it's a small. That'll be eight-fifty."

Vaati's eyes popped open. _Eight-fifty?! Eight hundred and fifty rupees?! Whoa! That's expensive! He really _is _buying me a nobleman's disguise! _He turned back around to stare at one board of sparkly blue fabric, trying to ignore the clank of Link's heavy wallet against the counter. He wanted to object--Link shouldn't have to pay all that just for him...but they'd be trouble if he did. For one, he'd have to find some subtle way of communicating without talking. For the other, Link would probably argue right back that no amount of money was too much to protect him, and then they'd launch into an invisible argument.

One leaflet of green fabric in the corner of the shop suddenly caught Vaati's eyes. It was a deep forest green and patterned with various swirls. _That would look great on Link... Argh, if only I had money and I didn't have to stay invisible. I'd buy it for him..._

"Do you, perhaps, have a dressing room somewhere in the back?"

The little tailor's shop fell dreadfully silent. Vaati whirled back around to see what was going on. The old tailor had a very odd expression on his face--somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

"I have a friend waiting out front who wants to try these on," Link quickly fabricated. "You know, before I buy it, I want to make sure it'll fit."

The tailor nodded, though his gaze longingly followed Link's bulging wallet as he pulled it back into his sack. "Yeah--I've got a little closet in the back of the building. It's not much of a dressing room, but it's plenty big enough. I'll hold this box here for you while you go get your friend."

"Thank you," Link plainly stated. He turned and began to walk towards the entrance, eyes darting everywhere around him. Vaati knew he was looking for him, so he walked next to him and grabbed his shoulder, reassuringly.

Once they were out of the tailor's shop, Link reached up to his shoulder, felt around for Vaati's hand, and then grabbed it tightly. "I'm going to bring you in the back of the building and into the closet," he whispered his plan. "And then once you're inside, I'll come back out and get the disguise. Okay?"

Vaati nodded, but of course, Link couldn't see that, so he squeezed his hand instead. He felt a bit like a burglar sneaking in by the back way. Thankfully, they entered quietly, and the tailor didn't notice that Link came in alone.

Just as fortunately, the closet was as big as he'd said it should be. It was apparently a storage closet for large objects. A few boxes were in it now, overflowing with papers, fabric, and other random supplies, like needles. Vaati took a few moments to study the wood floor below him and the little hanging lantern above his head. Just when he was starting to see yellow spots from staring into it too long, Link slipped back into the closet holding the sacred white box.

Slowly, Vaati let himself fade back into the visible spectrum again. "Oh, joy," he said, with absolutely no enthusiasm. "Now I get to try on my new disguise. It better be a _good _one."

Link grinned. "Oh, I think it's a _very_ good one." And finally, he held the box out towards him and lifted its cover.

Vaati was speechless. His eyes bulged. His body froze. His slight light purplish color drained. "Y...You're kidding... You've got to be kidding."

Link's evil grin remained fixated. "I told you...it's the perfect disguise."

"But...but I don't want to..."

"Too bad." Link began to pull the disguise out of its box and set out the pair of shoes. "You've really got no choice. Now start unbuttoning."

(-)

"Don't you think this is a bit much?" Vaati was studying himself in a hand mirror he'd dug out of the storage boxes while Link brushed his hair back. "I mean...I know where you're going with this, but..."

"Nope," Link simply replied. With that, he wound his elastic around the clump of hair he'd gathered and pulled it tight. "I think you need makeup."

"Ouhh..." Vaati winced when Link tightened his pigtail. "I told you--be gentle..."

"Aww, I'm sorry." Link reached up to pet the top of his head, comfortingly. "But we're all done now! Now, how about a little lipstick? I think it would look good. Or at least some mascara..."

"_No_," Vaati solidly defied. "I've gone along with your little plan thus far, but I'm _not _wearing makeup."

"Why?" Link innocently asked. "I think it would help."

Vaati was in utter disbelief. Vaati was in complete discomfort. Vaati was in extreme embarrassment. Vaati was in a dress.

It was light rose pink with white lace. Its sculpted neckline was also lined with lace, exposing his collarbone, with a faux pearl necklace Link had bought elsewhere. A white sash wound around his waist, ending in a bow on his back. The dress itself was puffy and layered with several petticoats, with a lacy apron draping over the front. Meanwhile, Link had styled his hair into two pigtails, and was currently tying a ribbon into the one on the right. His bang was held up on the top of his head with a sparkly pink barrette. Even despite all this, the worst thing was definitely the shoes. A pair of shiny red high-heels. Vaati could barely stand up straight in them--how was he going to be able to walk later?!

He frowned as he stared into the hand mirror. "How do you know this is going to work? That when people look at me, they're going to see a pretty young girl and not an evil villain in drag?"

Link smirked and leaned over to whisper into his ear. "Because you're _not_ an evil villain in drag. You're a pretty young girl. A _beautiful_ young girl." Link was really starting to scare him.

Vaati returned to studying himself in the mirror. "Won't they notice my flat chest? Why'd you have to get a small, anyway? If you'd gotten a medium, it would've been a little too big, and I couldn've stuffed some tissue or something on top of my chest. Here, there's no room."

"You're young," Link decided, tying another ribbon into the other pigtail. "You're just underdeveloped. Zelda's chest is pretty flat too."

Vaati shivered. Why was acting as if he really _was _a girl? It was really creeping him out.

"There you go." Link finally finished tying the ribbon. Its curling pink streamers nicely complimented the thin purple pigtail. "Now you have to practice curtsying to people. You'll have to curtsy to the Hyrule guards and everyone else you meet, so...I've watched Zelda do it all the time, so I know how it's done."

Vaati put the mirror down and uncomfortably shifted on his high-heels.

"Okay, bow your head and pull your skirt up from the edges...no, not that much!"

The hem of the dress was somewhere just above Vaati's knees. He immediately dropped it and let it tumble back to his feet.

"Just a little bit, like to your ankles. That's good. Now, bend your knees. No, keep them together! And try to bend your left leg behind your right..."

Vaati lifted his left leg like a flamingo and tucked it behind his right. A millisecond later, he was toppling to the ground in a heap of ribbons and lace.

Link sighed and reached out to the frilly mound. "I didn't say to lift your leg _up_, just put it behind the other one."

"It's too hard..." Vaati whimpered. "How am I going to remember all this every time I meet someone?!"

"Well, girls do it all the time," Link argued. "It can't be _that_ hard."

"Yes, it _is_!"

It took a few more practice sessions until Vaati finally learned how to curtsy correctly--and even longer for him to learn how to walk correctly. "Walk like you're always on your tiptoes," Link suggested. "Don't put pressure on the heels at all."

"I'm used to having gigantic feet that grip to the earth," Vaati worriedly explained. "I've always had trouble with these tiny human feet...now I have to stand on tiptoes? I really have terrible balance." And with that, he toppled over onto the conveniently placed cushioning boxes.

At last, after about five more tries, he had stopped swaying like a drunkard.

"Okay!" Link happily announced. "Now, it's time for the test!"

Vaati's eyes widened. "Test? What test?"

And then, before he had a chance to begin his invisibility spell, Link flung the door open. "Sorry we took so long."

The old tailor turned from his counter, and to Vaati's complete horror, looked straight at the two of them. Link brought Vaati out into the shop, letting him lean on his arm for balance. "So, what do you think?"

The tailor's eyes scanned Vaati, looking at his dress up and down. The disguised sorcerer tried not to let his trembling show, but his heart was pounding out a furious rhythm. What if he figured it out...?!

"When you said your friend wanted to try it on, I assumed you meant the Princess," the tailor finally spoke. "Who's this lovely young lady?"

Though he blushed in embarrassment, Vaati couldn't help but feel a little relieved. It had actually worked! He could fool everyone just by dressing in drag!

"Erm..." Link's mind reeled, trying to create an identity. "Well...she's here visiting Hyrule from another land. This is my cousin...um, Valerie."

Vaati looked over and slipped him an eye roll.

The tailor's expression livened. "Really? It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Valerie. How are you enjoying our kingdom so far?"

Vaati frowned, trying to think up something to say--and also how to talk like a girl. The silence was deafening.

"Sh-she's quite shy," Link finally spoke up, stepping forward in order to defend Vaati. "That's why I had to bring her by the back to try the dress on. She wouldn't come in the front way because she was too afraid."

"Oh!" the tailor reeled backwards in shame. "Excuse me. I'm sorry. ...That dress does look very pretty on her."

"Yeah," Link agreed. "I'm going to buy it for her." He pulled out his giant wallet of rupees, much to the tailor's delight and emptied almost all of it onto the counter.

"Well, isn't that generous of you?" The tailor hurried to scoop up the eight hundred fifty rupees, depositing them into a cabinet on the other side of the counter. "She can just wear it out, if she wants, since she's already got it on."

"Thank you," Link replied. "Her old dress was all worn, and that's why she didn't want to come in. She didn't want to be seen in it."

"Well, enjoy!" The tailor smiled as Link began to move towards the front door.

Vaati stepped forward. Link turned back in amazement and watched as he approached the tailor. Well, he had to get some practice, after all. Slowly, he slipped into an awkward curtsy. "N-Nice to meet you, sir." He forced his voice into a slightly higher pitch, which Link didn't really think was necessary.

The tailor's smile widened. "And it was quite a pleasure to meet you, Miss Valerie. Please excuse my little transgression. You're a very pretty young lady."

"Th-thank you," Vaati squeaked. Then, he quickly scurried back to Link's side, and they passed back out into Hyrule Town.

"You shouldn't talk like that," Link immediately instructed him as soon as they were safely on the other side of the door. "It actually sounds more fake. Your voice is high enough already to be mistaken for a girl's. Especially your laugh."

"Sorry..." Vaati was only half-listening. He was staring out at the bustling town. This was the _real _challenge. Would the disguise hold out? Would he able to make it through without incident?

Link immediately grabbed a hold of his arm, as if escorting him, and began to lead him towards the upper portion and the gate leading to Hyrule Castle. He patted the sack around his chest, where he'd stored Vaati's clothes. "It's okay. We just need to get to Princess Zelda. Then, you can change back. I promise."

As they traveled through the town square, Vaati began to tremble. Villagers' eyes were on him, and he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched wherever they went. While he constantly fretted that they were figuring out who he was, the villagers were trying to do exactly that. Who _was_ that pretty young lady they'd never seen before? And why was she with Link? Link ended up having to introduce "Valerie" quite a few times before they reached the north gate.

It was quite a relief to travel through North Hyrule Field afterwards. Though, unfortunately, there were a few octoroks crawling around. Link had to shield Vaati and kill them himself, since Vaati's sword was tucked away in his pack, and he was trying to save his magic in case he had to go invisible again. Though, once, he killed one of the octoroks just by stepping on it.

"Hey--these shoes _are_ good for something!"

When they finally reached the garden and the entrance to Hyrule Castle, a group of guards immediately formed themselves into a line to block their passage. "Oh," the one in the center, apparently the leader, finally noticed. "Link, it's you? Who is your lovely young partner?"

The other guards gently relaxed and fell back into their positions. "We're sorry--we saw her hair color and thought she might be that evil sorcerer from last year."

Vaati shuddered, but also suddenly felt like laughing. Everyone was so clueless!

Link frowned and reached back to grip Vaati's arm, protectively. "Yeah. She's been getting a lot of reactions like that just because of her purple hair. She doesn't understand why everyone is afraid of her."

"Poor thing!" the head guard replied. He fell out of the way, but still stared at the diguised Vaati with a pleasant smile. "And what is her name? I would like to be further acquainted with the young lady."

"Oh!" Link acted completely appalled. "I'm sorry--I didn't even introduce you! This is my cousin, Valerie. She's here to visit for a few weeks, and I wanted her to meet Princess Zelda."

Vaati clumsily curtsied again while Link introdued him. "P-Pleased to...make your ac...acquaintance."

"You'll have to excuse her shyness--she's never been to a castle before now."

"Really?" The guard's smile widened. "She's so pretty, I thought she must be the princess of some other nation! I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance as well." Accordingly, the guard slipped down onto one knee and gently lifted Vaati's hand.

Vaati's eyes bugged out. _Is he proposing to me?! _He couldn't figure out what was going on until the guard lowered his head and pressed his wet lips against the back of his hand.

_Oh, ewwww! _Vaati had to use all of his willpower to stop himself from kicking him. He giggled nervously and very falsely, though everyone else just thought it was his "shyness".

"Why, you have such fair skin, Miss Valerie," the guard continued, stroking his hand and looking up into his eyes. "If you don't mind my saying so, it almost looks...lilac."

"We really ought to be going," Link quickly cut in, dragging Vaati out of his reach. "I told Zelda to expect us around now, so..."

"Oh, excuse me." The guard snapped back up into position and let them pass. "Have a wonderful time at the castle." He smiled and waved as they began to disappear through the large double doors. "And you too, dear Miss Valerie."

As soon as the doors closed behind them, Vaati let his disgusted expression out.

"That was excellent!" Link exclaimed. "They didn't suspect a thing!"

"Please tell me we're almost there..." Vaati groaned.

"Why?" Link glanced back at him. "Everything's going to be fine, and your diguise is working perfectly."

"That guard was _hitting on me_!!!" Vaati finally burst out. "I don't know how much more of this I can take!"

"So? Would you rather have him attack you with a big, pointy spear? Besides..." Here, Link paused to give one of his pigtails a playful twirl. "You're just so pretty--who _wouldn't _hit on you?!"

Vaati groaned again, a little louder this time. He'd be a little leery the next time Link called him "beautiful".

"Okay..." Link looked around the castle and tried to get a feel for where they needed to go next. "Now we just need to find Zelda's room. If I remember correctly, it's on the next floor up..."

"Could we find a bathroom first?" Vaati pleaded. "I really need to wash my hands."

"Don't you want to get out of that dress?" Link argued. "Zelda first. Bathroom later. Then, you can wash your hands and get changed."

Vaati grumbled and complained a bit more under his breath, but let Link lead him down the blue-carpeted hallway and up the stone castle steps. Unfortunately, the second level was littered here and there with various guards and servants, so Vaati was forced to shut up and act like a shy little girl. Many of the vassals glanced at them as they swept past, but thankfully, the made no inquiries.

Since Vaati couldn't talk to Link, he just stared past him and studied the castle architecture. Long stone columns and gray brick walls... Those tapestries swaying gently above them... He could rememeber now... The floor plan of the palace was appearing in the back of his mind again, though he couldn't tell which room was the princess's. Yes...he knew this place well.

As they traveled through the long hallway towards what Link assumed was Zelda's room, the servants slowly began to disappear. Some outside shadow was creeping across the bright gray walls, and soon, they were entirely blanketed in thick, black-purple. Vaati desperately turned his head towards a window, trying to figure out what was going on, but found only the menacing red carving of an eye glaring back at him. Link just kept marching forward. He hadn't even noticed the sudden change in décor.

"L-Link..." Vaati began, tugging on his sleeve. "Something's not right here..."

Link didn't even turn around. He had arrived at the threshold of a doorway. He reached out his hand for the handle.

A terrible feeling of dread wriggled through Vaati's body. "N-No!" he tried to speak out. "D-Don't open that door!!!" There was something horrific on the other side, and he knew it. He's created this place, after all, so he knew exactly where all the traps were hidden.

_Clink_! It was too late.

"_Link_!!!" Vaati shouted.

Sure enough, as soon as the stupid hero opened the door, a giant flaming skull flew down at him. Fire blazed through its eye sockets, and it cackled in a horrible, otherworldly voice as it swooped down on him like a rocket. Vaati squeezed his eyes closed, unable to watch the destruction.

"She's probably just afraid. She doesn't do well with strangers, you know."

_...What? _Gently, Vaati opened his eyes again. In front of him wasn't a skill, but rather just the opposite--a round, fleshy face covered in tufts of white hair. The man's eyes were hidden behind a round pair of spectacles, though he looked interestedly up at him. He was shorter than both of them.

"Wha...? Er..." Vaati was so shocked and confused that he nearly forgot his disguise. Quickly, he glanced back, to see Link gripping him by the shoulders and holding him out towards the little Hyrule minister. Vaati quickly shook himself and curtsied to the minister. "N-Nice to...m-meet you, sir." This time, he didn't have to fake shyness--the trembling in his voice was very real.

"You too, Miss Valerie," Minister Potho replied. "You're a very sweet young lady. Not quite unlike our princess."

"Th-thank you, sir." Vaati forced color into his cheeks and pretended to be flattered.

"Which room _is_ Zelda in, anyway?" Link spoke up. "We were going up for a little visit with her, but got lost on the way and ended up here."

"Oh, it's the one around the corner on the left," Minister Potho explained. "Why didn't you let us know you were coming beforehand? I could've arranged an escort."

"Uh...well, it was kind of a last-minute decision," Link stammered out. "See, Valerie has to return home again tomorrow, and I wanted her to meet the princess before she left."

Vaati turned and nodded at the minister, affirmatively.

The little midget smiled. "Well, I'm sure she'll be delighted to meet you. You go have fun now."

"Thank you, Minister Potho!" Link dragged Vaati out of the room again, smiling and waving nervously. "We will!"

Vaati stared at the plain, gray walls of the corridor and the servants bustling in and out of various rooms. What had happened...? _Oh, stupid! _he realized after a moment. _That was an attack! Link stopped it by grabbing my shoulders to show me off to the minister!_ "Thank you," he told Link once the door was closed.

"Er...your welcome. Why were you so scared of the minister?" He had absolutely no idea.

"I was having an attack," Vaati explained as they turned a corner of the corridor and headed for the door on the left. "But you brought me out of it."

"Shh," Link warned when he saw a maid approaching. After she had passed, he whispered, "Really? My gosh, I didn't even recognize it. It's a good thing I touched you just then." He stepped up to the doorway and decidedly knocked on it.

"Who is it?" a high, fluttery voice called from within.

"Zelda, it's Link!"

"Oh, Link! Come in!"

There had been no mention of Vaati, but Link pulled him in with him when he opened the door. "Zelda, I know how shocking and awkward this is..." he immediately began. "But please, give me a chance to explain..."

The blonde princess was sitting at a dainty white vanity, adjusting her winged hair clips when the two of them burst in. Gently, she turned her head and rose, letting her long pink dress and patterned sash fall to the floor. "Ah!" Her large blue eyes brightened with a little smile. "Link! Who is this? A new friend of yours? She's cute!"

Now, Link was the one who was shocked. Vaati's little disguise was even fooling _Zelda_! That just proved how brilliant it was to dress Vaati in drag as a disguise. He already looked so much like a girl, that everyone undoubtedly believed that he was female. Therefore, since Vaati wasn't female, this couldn't be Vaati.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Link insisted. "See?!"

And with that, he finally pulled the ribbons out of Vaati's hair, much to the sorcerer's shock and dismay. He trembled uncontrollably as his hair fell back into one lone piece and his bang flopped over his right eye once again. _Now she knows who I really am... Please...don't scream... Please...I hope she remembers when I turned back into a picori... Please...don't yell at me..._ Vaati tensed his muscles and cringed, bracing for the impact of her words.

"Oh."

_Here it comes..._

"...So she usually keeps her hair down? No matter, it looks pretty either way!"

Link and Vaati looked at each other. They both sweat-dropped. She _still _thought he was a girl!

Link grabbed Vaati and shoved him in front, closer to Zelda's face. "This is _Vaati_!" he cried. "He's just in a dress! You couldn't recognize him?!"

"Oh!" Zelda reeled backwards in shock. "I'm so sorry! I really thought you were a girl!" Then, her face softly settled into a look of pure confusion. "Vaati? That evil sorcerer picori, um, thing that's not really evil? What's he doing here? And why is he in a dress?"

Link took a deep breath. "Let's all sit down," he proposed. "It's a long story."

(-)

"Wow..." Zelda was completely flummoxed. She was sitting on the edge of her bed where Link was also seated. Vaati was currently washing up and getting changed in Zelda's own personal shower-room. "...I never even knew about the Secondary Elements. And you say this Electricity one is somewhere in the castle? Gee, I reallly don't know where it is...and I've been practically everywhere in here."

Link sighed. "No idea at all? It's going to be awful to try to search the castle from top to bottom."

"I've been terribly busy lately, so I haven't really had time to go exploring," Zelda tried to explain. "So maybe it's appeared somewhere. Things keep appearing here all the time. Just a few days ago, Daddy was having this conference with some weird man in a black robe..."

Link nearly fell off the bed. "The man in the black robe!!! Did you see him?! What did he look like?! Why was he having a conference with the king?! Did he _do_ anything?"

Zelda was taken aback. "Um...no, he didn't do anything. He just looked kind of weird. All I saw was his black robe with red markings. You know Father never lets me go to royal conferences."

"But he had a vision about him!" Link exclaimed. "And I heard while we were on Mt. Crenel that that man is who brought the monsters there! He's evil, Zelda!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Zelda argued. "Your little friend in the shower was 'evil' too."

That shut Link up. His face dropped and hardened into a thoughtful scowl.

And Vaati chose that moment to walk back in. "Ah, this is so much more comfortable!" He froze when he noticed the atmosphere. "...What happened here?"

"Oh, nothing!" Link was immediately cheerful again. "Zelda and I were just trying to figure out where the Electricty Element could be."

Slowly, Vaati sat down on the floor in front of the bed, depositing his frilly disguise at his feet. Link stared at Zelda. Zelda stared down at Vaati. Vaati stared up at Zelda with gradually widening eyes. Suddenly, his head fell down, and he desperately clutched his hands together. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness!"

Zelda just smiled. "Oh, it's okay. It wasn't that bad. I didn't feel a thing! It was just as if I'd taken a nice, long nap."

"While I had to fight off slews of monsters and trek through long dungeons, you just got to take a nice nap," Link complained.

Zelda giggled. "Uh-huh!"

Slowly, Vaati turned his head up again and smiled along with them. _Thank goodness..._

"Come onto the bed," Zelda invited. "There's plenty of room; you don't have to sit on the floor like that."

"Um..." Vaati was very nervous, but he eventually got up to sit next to Link on the opposite side of her bed.

Then, afterwards, Zelda insisted that she had to take them to see the king. "He has to know that you're here looking for the Electricity Element," she reiterated. "That way, you'll be able to stay here for the night and search the castle."

Link agreed that it was a good idea, but poor Vaati almost had a nervous breakdown. "I can't meet the _king_! I tried to take his throne! I impersonated him! I almost took over his kingdom! He thinks I'm an evil monster! I _am _an evil monster! He's going to have me executed! What am I going to do?!"

Thankfully, through Link and Zelda's combined efforts, they eventually suceeded in calming him down. And then, before any of them expected, they were standing at the blue stone dais before the large, portly, imposing presence of Hyrule's monarch.

While Link and Zelda calmly explained the situation, Vaati could only linger back and study the pretty little curving designs in the red carpeting. The throne room guards were pointing their spears at him, warily, though none of them advanced from their positions against the walls.

_This...this is where I took control...turning the king to stone and hiding him in the dungeon while I transformed into his likeness. This is where I ordered all the guards out to look for the Light Force. And right above us is where...is where I..._ His heart pounded with fear as those horried images filled his mind again.

_No! _He forced them out of his head. _Don't think about that. It might start another attack. I don't wamt that happening in front of the King of Hyrule! _Instead, he turned his attention to Link and Zelda's kind words.

"Yes," Zelda was finishing her input. "And he was such a pathetic little thing. I had to agree. If you'd only seen it..."

"He wanted to kill himself..." Link's voice took over. "He would have...and no one would have cared... If I hadn't been there to help..."

"I've heard your defenses." The king's voice boomed out from his position at the throne after their speeches had finished. Slowly, he was beginning to descend and approach their positions, though Vaati didn't notice because his head was turned down. "Now let the boy speak for himself."

Vaati's head snapped up and he nearly fainted on the spot when he realized that the king was now standing directly in front of him.

"Please be gentle with him!" Link implored, whirling around on the spot. "He's actually very frightened...!"

Vaati couldn't control his trembling. Consciously, he tried to make his limbs stay still, but they wouldn't listen to him. Then, quite accidentally, his legs gave out. Desperately, he swept his body forward, bracing his fall with extended arms. He pressed his forehead to the floor, and made a graceful bow out of it. Now that he was facing the floor, he found himself able to form words again, and began to beg for mercy. "Y-Your Majesty...I...I'm so profoundly sorry for all the terrible trouble I've caused. I can't believe...that I did those abominable things now. I just wish...I wish I hadn't done any of it. I want to take it all back...but...I know that no matter what I do, I can never make up for all the terrible crimes I've committed. I wouldn't blame you one bit if you had me killed right now. I just wish...there _was_ someway to make it up."

Vaati's voice wavered horribly as he tried to hold back tears. He opened his eyes to stare into the deep red of the carpet and the purple streamers of his hair and tried to steady his spiraling emotions. It wasn't working very well, and a few tears slipped out of the corners of his eyes against his will.

A smile turned up above the king's white beard, though only Link and Zelda could see it. "Yes, yes. I acknowledge your sincerity. At ease."

Though reluctantly, the guards had no choice but to obey and lift their spears back up. Everyone stood in silence, waiting for Vaati to crawl back to his feet...but he didn't even make a motion to lift his head.

"You may rise," the king finally announced.

Vaati timidly turned his head back up and hastily scrambled to his feet. "I...I am eternally grateful for your great compassion and mercy."

"So," the king began, still smiling in good humor. "What was it like being me?"

Vaati's heart froze. What should he say?! Should he flatter him and say it had been very enjoyable? He _was_ the king, after all! Or should he tell the truth? Maybe he'd know if he was lying... Gulping, Vaati resolved to tell the truth, no matter what. "Um...I don't mean to offend you in any way, but...it wasn't quite as fun as I'd hoped."

Quite unexpectedly, the king burst out in a hearty chuckle. "Well! I think that quite often myself!" Gradually, he made his way back up to the front of the room. "Link, Vaati, you are both welcome to stay here as my guests as you search for this Electricity Element. I shall have the guest room across from Zelda's made up for you."

"Excuse me, sir," one of the guards spoke up. "But that one is occupied for the week. You remember the visitors from the conference...?"

"Oh, yes..." The king frowned again and mulled over the predicament. "Well...we do have another one further down that same hall...but it wouldn't be fit for the two of you..."

"We don't mind if it's not homely," Link insisted. "Really, it's perfectly fine if it's dirty or incomplete, or..."

"No, that's not the problem," the king explained. "It's a very fine little room, but you see...it only has one bed."

"Oh...well, that's perfectly fine!" Link remembered the many times when they'd slept huddled together on Mt. Crenel. It would be no different here, except they'd have soft cushions and blankets. He quickly glanced back to Vaati. "That is, if you don't mind..."

"No, no!" Vaati looked almost pleased at the prospect. "I don't mind at all!"

"Well, that's good." The king's smile appeared once again. "I suppose you boys can share and make due. It'll be no problem."

"And you'll still be right down the hall from me!" Zelda excitedly added.

"Then it's settled." Link looked back and drew Vaati to his side again. "We'll start searching for the Electricty Element immediately."

"Why, not now!" the king exclaimed as his eyes wandered to the clock on the opposite end of the hall. "It's getting terribly late. I hope you plan on joining us for dinner!"

(-)

"Dinner" was an understatement. Apparently, the king had immediately ordered a grand feast prepared for their guests, and Link and Vaati found themselves seated across from Zelda at a long, golden banquet table. Other servants and guards lined the rest of its length, and it was piled with almost every type of food you could think of. Though the servants did shoot a few suspicious glances their way, they kept their mouths shut, just as the mountain picori had.

Link chatted animately with Zelda as he ate, and took the opportunity to ask the king about his mysterious conference.

"Oh," he only replied, seeming unconcerned. "It's just a simple matter of disputed territory. My vision was probably only a premonition of this man's arrival. Oftentimes, nothing bad ever comes of what I prophesize."

Link didn't tell him about what Gleerok had said, and decided they were better off not knowing. _After all, _he thought_, there could be tons of other men out there wearing black robes...it might not have been the same man. _

Link ate with a hearty appetite. He hadn't had such a good meal in a very long time, and he wanted to savor it while it lasted.

Though the main course was a ham, there were plenty of fruits, vegetables, and pastas that Vaati could eat. For the very first time, as least that Link had seen, Vaati even finished everything on his plate. Now, he was currently helping himself to a tray of brownies, éclairs, and other little pastries for dessert.

"You like those?" Link was slightly surprised.

Vaati nodded vigorously and swallowed a mouthful of chocolate. "Mmm-hmm! I've never had chocolate before--it's rare among us picori. It's really delicious!" And it was so delicious that he eventually finished the whole platter.

Vaati moaned and clutched his bulging, aching belly. "I'm sorry I ate so much..."

The king just laughed deeply again. "Well, I take that as a compliment. There's proof that you enjoyed it!"

Link's eyes shifted over to glance at him. "And now I know your weakness--little sweet tooth!" He leaped over to tickle Vaati all over. He burst into uncontrollable giggles and clutched his stomach even more tightly. "Now you might actually gain some weight. I'm sick of having to look at your ribcage every time we shrink."

Vaati groaned again and fell back into his chair. "Between you and the king, I'm going to become a fat little picori."

"Nah," Link decided, twirling a piece of his hair around his finger. "I don't think you could ever be fat. You're just too beautiful."

While Vaati laughed and argued back with him, Zelda sat up straight and stared at them. Suddenly, she felt the cold stab of loneliness, though she couldn't tell why. Link had been with Vaati for weeks, she decided. Of course, they'd be close. But she felt strangely left out...and she couldn't shake that feeling of emptiness growing inside her. Even as Link smiled and gave her a grateful hug goodnight before escorting Vaati off to their new room, she couldn't stop her thoughts. _...He's never twirled _my _hair like that..._

(-)

After an hour or two of resting, Vaati felt better and helped Link unpack his sack and prepare the room for the night. They hung their swords and the dress on three wooden pegs sticking out of the wall near the doorway and tucked the shoes securely under the bed.

Just when Vaati was lying back down and preparing for bed, somehing large and soft slammed into his head. "Ah!" He reached up and pulled a pillow off the bed's sideboard. "What was that for?!"

Link shrugged and grinned mischievously. "I dunno. You were just lying there, and I had a pillow in my hands..."

"Well, you can have it back!" Vaati lobbed the pillow towards him, and it bonked gracefully off his face.

Link burst into laughter and swept it back up off the floor. "Oh, you are going to get it now!"

Vaati squealed and snapped back up to grab his own pillow, but not before Link descended on him like a determined boxer. Soon, it had erupted into a full-blown pillow war, the two boys jumping, rolling, and laughing away like a couple of little girls at a slumber party.

Then, before either of them knew it, the pillow fight had transformed into a wrestling match. Neither knew how it started, but they eventually got back up on the bed and continued their pillow battle, except with no pillows. Link won every single time, since Vaati had no muscles, but the sorcerer just continued laughing, jubilantly. He tackled Link around the waist, desperately.

Link swiftly seized his little bony shoulders and shoved him down against the bedcovers. "Got you again," he breathlessly proclaimed. Vaati just smiled and stared back up at him.

And then, as Link leaned over him, he felt something terrible. Vaati looked even more beautiful than ever before. His disarrayed hair lay in a wonderful spread around him like a halo, and his face was a rosy pink with the effort and exhilaration of their little games. His smile was radiant and his eyes twinkled with mirth. Link just wanted to press his own face up against it.

His heart pounded, his whole face turned bright red, and he immediately pulled away, turning away from the sight.

Vaati sat up again. While he was distracted, he pounced on him, pulling him to the mattress. "Ha!" he triumphantly cried. "This time, _I _got _you_! How d'ya like _them_ apples?"

Link squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to look up into that face again. Vaati's soft hair brushing around his cheeks was bad enough. "Th-that's enough," he finally decided, happiness gone from his voice. He gathered all his courage to pull Vaati off.

"Aw, that's not fair!" Vaati sat back up and tried to straighten himself out a little. Some of the buttons of his tunic had come undone in the scuffle. "Just when I get the upper hand, you decide to quit. You're a poor sport!" Then, when Vaati turned back around, he noticed Link's shocked expression, and immediately, his little smile vanished. "...What's the matter? You look kinda scared."

"It's...nothing," Link slowly answered. He'd tried to make something up, but his head was too busy whirling with its own thoughts. "I just...I'm not feeling all that comfortable anymore."

"Well, cheer up!" Vaati reached forward and flung his arms around him, resting his chin over his shoulder. "How can you _not_ be comfortable on this big, soft bed?"

It was an innocent gesture of comfort, but it was exactly what Link did not need right now. He just pushed him off again. "I'm sorry...I just need to lie down and be by myself for a while. Can you just entertain yourself?"

Vaati's eyes grew slightly wider, and his ears drooped a little. "Should I go sit out in the hall?"

"No, no." As much as he needed a break from Vaati now, he still didn't want him to go away completely. "You can stay here, just don't...touch me."

Vaati found that very odd, but obediently slipped away to find something else to do.

Link rested back against his pillow and took a deep breath. _Why...why did I even _think _about doing that?! He's another boy...but I wanted to press my lips... Augh! No! I shouldn't have even let it enter my mind. But...I just couldn't help it... We were rolling around together, having fun, and everything seemed so surreal. I got carried away. Well...he _does_ look like a girl. Maybe that's why... I wish he _was _a girl. ...No, I take that back. He looked pretty in that dress, but breasts just wouldn't look good on him. He's too...smooth. Well, his face and hair look like a girl's and I guess that's enough. I guess that's why I'm...attracted to him_. Link took another deep breath and slowly, he began to admit it to himself. _I'm attracted to him... I'm _attracted _to him..._

"Woo! This is so much fun!!!" Link was broken out of his trance by the light voice of that same boy-girl-picori-sorcerer thing. He was standing up and springing up and down on the bed, next to him. "It's almost like flying!!!"

"Don't do that." Link felt like he was reprimanding a small child. "What if the bed breaks? What are you going to say to the king?"

"It's no problem!" Vaati cheerily replied, not ceasing his jumping for a moment. "I'll just fix it! I'm a sorcerer, duh! Why do you always forget that?! Wheehee!!!"

Link frowned and glanced over at the clock on their nightstand. "You're awful hyper for ten past midnight."

"You forget!" Vaati laughed at him as he jumped and tried to fly up higher. "I just ate a whole ton of sugar!!! _Whoooo_!!!" He jumped up so high that his head smacked into one of the bed's canopy beams. He fell back to his knees, clutching the spot on the back. "Owww..."

Link couldn't resist sitting up and tapping him on the forehead. "No more monkeys jumping on the bed. C'mon, it's time for night-night."

Vaati chuckled and faked a childish whine. "But I don't _wanna_ go night-night."

"Well, too bad." Link tackled him one last time, and this time, reached over his head to switch the light off.

"Hey, no fair," Vaati's voice floated out from somewhere behind him. "You tricked me."

"Shhhh..."

Vaati finally obliged and a few seconds later, Link felt the pointy little stubs of his knees against his back. He sighed and settled down for a nice, relaxing sleep.

"So are we going searching for the Electricity Element tomorrow?" Vaati's disembodied voice again.

"Yeah, we need to start as soon as possible."

Two minutes later. "Where do you suppose it might be?!"

"I've no idea--go to sleep."

Two more minutes later. "Can we have another pillow fight tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not--now go to sleep."

Another two minutes. "So what were you so upset about, anyway?"

"I'm never letting you eat sugar again."

(-)

The next morning, they were served breakfast on a golden tray brought in by a room service maid. Link gratefully accepted it, though Vaati declined, saying that he was still full from last night. He did drink a little coffee later, and it helped him revive from his sugar crash.

Just as Link had finished fastening on his sword, and Vaati finished brushing out his hair, an urgent knock sounded from the door. "Hey, guys!" a bright female voice called from the other side. "It's Zelda! Rise and shine!"

Vaati scrambled to put his boots and his belt back on as Link ran to the door.

"Hey!" A smile broke over Link's face when he flung the door open, and those big blue eyes looked up at him again. "I didn't expect to see you so early. Vaati and I were just getting ready to head down..."

"Well, I have a proposition, and I couldn't wait any longer to ask you!" the princess's smile widened and she looked as excited and joyful as Vaati had last night. "It's been a whole month since I've last seen you. You know, you had all those swords to help your grandpa make, and then you met Vaati and went off on your little adventure... So, I've been terribly bored here all that time. Anyway, now that you're finally here, we should go out to the town again together!"

This was rather unexpected. Link's eyes widened. He hadn't spent a day out in the town with Zelda in what felt like ages. He wanted so badly to go...but... As they were discussing this, Vaati had gotten back to his feet and was staring into the back of his head, forlornly.

"I want to go..." Link finally spoke up. "But Vaati..."

"Well, he can come with us if he wants!" Zelda extended the invitation, looking over Link's shoulder and giving the sorcerer a friendly smile. "There's no reason he should stay up in the castle here alone."

"Yes, there _is_ a reason," Link explained, partly annoyed. "He can't be seen! You and your father now know what happened, but the rest of Hyrule still hates him! I can't let him out in that situation!"

Slowly, Zelda's face began to fall. "Oh."

"N-No!" Vaati suddenly spoke up, holding out his hands. "Don't let me spoil all your fun! I'll be fine here by myself! In fact, I think I'd enjoy it a lot!"

Link sighed. "Don't lie. You know you'd start _thinking_ again and have another attack..."

"Hey, he's a picori, isn't he?" Zelda suddenly lit up with an entirely new prospect. "Why can't he just become a picori again? No one will be able to see him, and we can carry him around with us."

Vaati's face burst into a little smile. "Why didn't I think of that?! You're a genius, princess!"

Zelda giggled. "Well, it just seemed obvious to me."

Link's face scrunched in worry once again. "But...but whenever you have to shrink..."

"It's not going to hurt much at all," Vaati insisted. "It only hurts more when we do it together because a lot of my energy is going into shrinking you. I believe there's an entrance right outside the castle, so I could do it before entereing the town."

"So it's decided!" Zelda announced, and led the boys down through the secret exit in the dungeons.

Then, once they were past the dim-witted field guards, Vaati shrunk himself on the stump. Link had to reach down, carefully pick him up, and deposit him in a pocket. The whole time, he could do nothing but worry for the creature's safety. Though he'd seen Vaati as a picori several times before, they'd always been on the same level. Vaati was so tiny! It was hard to believe he was even alive. Link constanty fretted that he might accidentally squish him to death, and often pulled him out, nestling him in the center of his palm to make sure he was okay. Link was afraid to even just pat him on the head with his finger. He might squish him under that too! Vaati always yelled up at him to keep him in his pocket, just in case any children were around, but he was too afraid he would suffocate.

Aside from the periodic check-ups, Zelda and Link did have an exciting day in town, poking around various shops. Link often felt bad that Vaati couldn't enjoy it with them, so he stuck little bits of bread and free samples into his pocket.

"We should go to the arcade!" Zelda excitedly suggested after they had lunch in Mama's Café. "I heard they got some new games since the last time we were there."

"Okay...but let's not do anything dangerous, like the moving obstacles..." Link glanced down towards his pocket. "I hope whatever new games they've got are fairly relaxing."

As it turned out, they were. Though Link tried one of those "press your luck" treasure chest games again, Zelda found the newly installed ball-rolling game. It featured a flat table in the wall with several small holes in it. The object was to roll the ball fast enough, but not too fast, in order for it to fall into one of the holes. The furthest one away was obviously the most points. Zelda enjoyed it a lot, and laughed every time her ball went just past the hole.

Then, when it was Link's turn to play, he got a wonderful idea. He gently scooped Vaati out of his pocket and set him down on the table's edge. Once he'd explained the game to him, the little picori lit up and scurried into the center edge of the table. Link took aim and rolled his ball. It came to a stop just short of the 200-point hole. Vaati immediately hopped off the edge, ran up to the ball's side, and pushed it the rest of the way.

"Link!" Zelda reproached. "That's cheating!"

Link just shrugged and grinned. "No one will ever find out."

The game continued in this way for a while, until the owner of the arcade took notice. He stared, dumbfounded, as Link's ball rolled to a stop, then started rolling again until it fell into the nearest hole. "H-How are you doing that?!" he demanded. "What is it, magnets?! I won't have you rob me!"

"I don't know," Link replied, pretending to look surprised. "I guess it's just magic!"

After a while, they had gathered a little crowd of adult onlookers, who marveled and tried to figure out Link's trick.

Vaati just sat on the table, laughing at all the stupid, befuddled humans until he fell down one of the holes. Link immediately jumped onto the table, shoving his hand down to retrieve him, and was then promptly kicked out. Zelda apologized over and over, but she couldn't help smiling at their antics.

When the three finally returned to the castle in secret, they all agreed that it had been a wonderful day. The Electricity Element lay apparently forgotten somewhere within the bowels of the castle.

But that night, after another infusion of sugar, Vaati had a brainstorm. He remembered the way no one at the arcade saw him, but they noticed the balls moving across the table. He could do something. He remembered the various conversations he'd picked up on while being carried around everywhere in Link's pocket. Slowly, he turned over on the bed to look at Link. "I'm going back to town tomorrow."

Link was dumbstruck. "What?! You...you can't go out there! You'd have to put on your disguise again, or become a picori..."

Vaati shook his head. "Or I could just be invisible. I could do it for a few hours. Not all day, but I'll only need a few hours each day."

"What do you want to go back there for? You want to play that arcade game again? Zelda and I could just plan another trip..."

Vaati shook his head again, and a little mysterious smile curled his lips. "I hurt everyone in that town and put all their lives in danger when I tried to take over Hyrule. You know how I said I wish there was some way to try to make it all up?"

Link's expression scrunched, confusedly. What did this have to do with anything?

"Well, there isn't," Vaati continued. "But I could at least help those people I hurt and do good things for them. No one would see me--I'd just slip in, invisible, do something nice for them, and leave. It would...make me feel a lot better."

"You want to do something good for every single person in Hyrule?" Link was just going to write the task off as impossible, but Vaati's face was so bright and hopeful that he had to give in. Anything to appease him and lift some of the burden of constant guilt off his shoulders. "Okay...but I'm coming with you. Just in case you overdo it and pass out. I can just imagine it now..." Link reminded himself to bring his blanket with him to cover Vaati in case he ran out of magic and reappeared before a crowd of people.

And thus, Vaati's mission began that very next day. The Electricity Element was once again completely brushed to the side, as Vaati returned to the town every day to check a few more people off his good deeds list.

Link began to grow sick of wandering around the same marketplace with nothing to do. He was forbidden to set foot back in the arcade, and after five consecutive days, even Simon's Simulations started to bore him. Next, he set himself the awful task of reading every book in the library, but was so disgusted by his first choice, _Married to the Moblin_, that he couldn't get up the courage to continue. Well, at least Vaati was having a good time.

Once, he was just lounging around in the café and happened to pick up a bit of pleasing gossip. "I couldn't believe it--it was like a miracle!" one woman exclaimed to her partner across the table. "All the bookshelves were organizing _themselves_, and the broom just zoomed across the floor all on its own!!! No, seriously, I'm telling you the truth! ...No, I _hadn't_ been drinking. Really, I saw it with my own two eyes."

_I'll believe it_, Link thought with a little smile. As the days went on, the villagers encountered more and more little miracles, and often related them to each other.

"My family has always been so poor, and none of my cuccos have brought us any eggs in a long time. But just yesterday, they laid two baskets full!"

"I was just there yesterday standing in that spot. How did my entire house uproot itself, walk all the way here, and sit down again just outside?"

"I just stepped out for a bit, and when I came back, all the mail was stamped and organized!"

"That kid finally learned to use tissues!"

"And all of a sudden, a gust of wind pushed me right into his arms!"

"A gust of wind brought my cat down from that enormous tree safe and sound too!"

Link smiled behind their backs. "Yup. It was the wind."

He was especially surprised to see the obsessive researcher walking around outside in the sun, and when he asked, he joyfully retold his story.

"It was truly a miracle. I was just studying by my candlelight, when suddenly, my eyes closed all on their own. I almost screamed for help. I thought I'd gone blind. But the world came back into focus again. And when it finally did come, I saw them. Those very mythical creatures I had devoted my life to finding. The picori...peering at me from the holes in my wall...hanging off the loose ceiling beams. I was so delighted, tears began to run down my face, and I swear, when I looked up, I saw a purple-haired angel. It smiled at me before turning and running out the door."

Link was completely shocked by this. Vaati could give adults the ability to see the picori? And he had never appeared before any of his other "customers". Well, at least he had thought he was an angel. That researcher had shut himself so much away from the world that he probably wouldn't even know who Vaati was if he met him.

As a result, Vaati was extremely happy and even began to do good deeds for the guards and servants of the castle when they weren't looking. He wanted to have fun and pillow-fight every night, but Link was slowly distancing himself from him a bit.

Poor Vaati didn't understand why Link didn't want to have fun with him anymore, but Link decided that it was for the best. Whenever he looked at him in that joyous, lively mood, his heart ached and he longed to squeeze his body against his own. He shouldn't be thinking these things... Vaati didn't really seem to be thinking the same. Oftentimes, Link wondered if he was just a pillow of comfort to Vaati--something to fall back on and turn to whenever he needed help. These feelings would only hurt Vaati in the end if he didn't get rid of them. And that was the last thing in the world he wanted. Though part of him still clung on to a slight hope.

"Vaati...?" he gently asked one night. "Have you ever had a grirlfriend?"

The sorcerer promtly laughed right in his face. Link felt extremely nervous at this reaction. Was he saying "of course not" or "of course"? "Hi," he replied, between his chuckles. "My name is Vaati. Who are you?!"

Link scowled. "I asked a perfectly legitimate question. Will you give me a straight answer?"

"Sorry." Vaati calmed down and took a deep breath so he wouldn't start laughing again. "It seemed like you'd completely forgotten who I was. I'm the evil, weird-looking picori with the creepy skin and the girly hair, remember? I've never had a _friend_ before, much less a _girlfriend_."

Though Vaati continued to chuckle to himself, Link could do nothing but frown, soberly. "Wow...that's sad."

"Yup, that's right!" Vaati then exclaimed, throwing arms around his shoulders again. "You're my very first friend!" And Link couldn't bring himself to pull him off that time.

(-)

"Why in the world do you want to go out at this time of night?!" Link speeded down the blue-carpeted castle hallway after the streak of purple just ahead of him. "No one is out! Almost everyone's inside having dinner!"

"Because I want to!" Never before had Vaati been so blatantly defiant or determined in his plans.

Link had wondered how come he hadn't gone out that morning, or why he'd taken care not to use even one drop of magic. He'd been saving it for now. Why in the world...? Nevertheless, Link eventually gave in and just followed the plotting sorcerer down, out through the castle dungeon, and towards the front gate. "We shouldn't be doing this," Link uselessly tried to dissuade him again, once he had finally caught up. "If one of the guards catches you, he'll think you're up to no good...sneaking around at night like this..."

"I know." Vaati set his mouth in a straight, determined line. "But the next person on my list...needs something done for him tonight."

Link was about to ask why it had to be tonight, why he couldn't have done it this morning, but Vaati had already taken off towards the entrance to the town like a purple dart. "Hey!" Link called after him as soon as he noticed his disappearance. "Vaati! Wait!!!" It was too late. He watched, incredulously, as the sorcerer slowly began to fade out of existence.

Just as he completely disappeared, Link slowed to a complete halt. For some reason...just watching Vaati run away from him like that filled him with terrible dread. _Maybe...by distancing myself from him, I'm hurting him just as much..._

Link suddenly recalled an instance a few nights ago when Vaati had nuzzled against his hand, begging for a petting, but he'd only turned over on the bed and faced away from him. Though he hadn't seen his reaction, he thought he'd heard him sigh. And just last night, he'd offered to sleep on the floor.

_He probably thinks I don't like him anymore... _Link forlornly realized. _And I don't blame him... It's not fair..._ Link was so confused and ashamed that he nearly began to cry, but immediately sucked it up and strode forward. _So, I need to make it up to him! I need to let him know that I really _do_ like him_. He ran forward into Hyrule Town, determined to find Vaati again and solve this problem.

Link kept walking forward in awe. For a moment, he thought he might've accidentally walked through some other portal instead of the gate to Hyrule Town. This wasn't Hyrule Town. Everyone in the streets was smiling and laughing and having fun. The various vendors had set up game booths...and if he wasn't mistaken, those two big metal things were a roller coaster and a ferris wheel. Link was shocked to find a carousel and a boat ride on his left. What? Was there some kind of carnival going on tonight? And how come no one had known about it? Wow...this was even more elaborate than the Picori Festival! How...how was this possible?!

And then, just as Link reached the center of the town, amidst the cheerily calling vendors, he felt it. There was something in the air...a presence. After being around it for so long, he was beginning to recognize its very essence. Magic. It shimmered and floated gently through the air. Little multicolored globes of light wafted on the wind like a rainbow of fireflies. A beautiful bluish full moon lit up the sky above, bathing the town in a mystic, deep indigo glow. No one else seemed to notice, but they smiled and exchanged pleasant conversations in the street. Hyper cats curled up and fell asleep on the spot. The fruit seller merrily handed out cones of ice cream and cotton candy. There were no guards or officers in sight.

Gently, Link was becoming aware of a sweet voice calling his name. It was soft at first, as if far away, but it grew louder and closer.

"Link!!!"

He whipped around to find, to his utter shock, Princess Zelda standing behind him. She smiled. "I knew I'd find you here."

Link could only stare into her innocent blue eyes with complete confusion. "How did you know? I left through the secret entrance after..."

"I don't know." Even Zelda herself seemed perplexed by the recent events. "I just suddenly had an urge to find you, and somehow I knew you were here in Hyrule Town. I had some sort of vision, showing you here..." She paused to look around, confusedly at the carnival and the lovely atmosphere around them. "Well...this is unusual. But it's wonderful! I've never seen anything like this before! It's beautiful out tonight. Since we're here, how about we enjoy it together?"

Link opened his mouth to respond with an immediate "sure"...but something held him back. There was something terribly fishy about this. He looked up, just to look away from Zelda for a moment, and noticed the wooden plank connecting the two buildings above.

There was Vaati, dangling his feet off the edge and smiling expectantly down at him. Accented by the glorious beauty of the lights of his own creation, the smile seemed even more luminous. Gently, he winked and lifted his finger to his lips. Apparently, Zelda hadn't noticed him.

Link's eyes widened and his heart began to beat faster. Had _he _done all of this?! How was that possible? He didn't have enough magic power to create this entire carnival! Did he...? He _had _been saving it up all day... Then, Link remembered what he had said earlier. _"But the next person on my list needs something done for him tonight"_. _He _was that person.

"Well?" Zelda spoke up again in impatience. "Are you going to come with me or not?!"

Link's face turned back down towards her. Had Vaati brought _her_ here too? Was this his "good deed" for him...a romantic evening alone with Zelda?

He stared into her cheery. smiling face. She just knew he was going to say yes. He'd been playing and going to festivals with her for ten years. Zelda was, aftar all, his oldest and most treasured friend. ...But had he ever slain a monster with her? Had he ever seen her half-naked? Slept in the same bed with her? Brushed her hair? Looked at her baby pictures? Nursed her back to health? Saved her life more than once?

"Well, actually..." Zelda's face began to fall. "...I'm busy tonight. I only came here looking for the Electricity Element when I couldn't find it in the castle. That's the most important thing, you know. It's crucial to Hyrule's future."

Zelda looked on the verge of tears, and Link felt a bit guilty. "Oh. Yeah. I understand. That comes before everything else. I'll just...go look around some more somewhere else." And just like that, she turned and scurried off behind one of the buildings...probably to let her tears go where no one could see her.

After she was out of sight, Link let out his sigh of relief, and turned back towards the plank above.

Vaati slipped off the board and fell gracefully to the ground just behind him. A frustrated and confused look reddened his face. "What'd you do _that_ for?!" he snapped at him. "I was trying to do you a favor, make you happy, and you just rejected it like that! Don't tell me I did all this work for nothing! It took a lot of effort to make this carnival and lure Zelda here without passing out afterwards. It took all day to save up enough magic and..."

Link just smiled. Vaati looked so cute when he was all flustered like that. He reached up to brush his hair lovingly with his fingertips. "Don't worry," Link interrupted the speech. "You didn't do all this for nothing. It's beautiful--I love it. But it's too special to be wasted, spending it with her."

Vaati's visible eye widened, probably amazed and a little baffled.

_This is it_, Link decided. He beamed into his puzzled face and couldn't stop his smile from spreading. "I want to spend it with _you_."

Vaati just didn't know what to say. His mouth opened and closed again like a fish before he found his voice again. "B-But...but I thought you liked Zelda. That's why you didn't want to pet me and stuff like usual, right? You didn't want her to see and get the wrong ideas about us."

"No," Link explained, trying to stop himself from chuckling. "That never crossed my mind. Sure, I like Zelda. But I don't really like her in _that_ way. I have more fun being with you."

"But..." Link had pulled his hand away from Vaati's head by now and was gently slipping it over his wrist. "But this whole time, you've been so out-of-sorts. You seemed like you were lovesick. I'm sorry--I guess I shouldn't leap to conclusions like that."

_No, you were right_, Link admitted in his head. _I _was _lovesick...just not for Zelda. _

"But I'm fine now!" he cheerfully burst out. He'd seized Vaati's hand by now and was beginning to lead him into the bustling carnival center. Amazedly, the people didn't notice Vaati at all, even though he was visible. It must have been part of the spell. "We've got a whole town to explore and a night to enjoy! I think we'd better start now, or we'll never finish."

Then, finally, Vaati relaxed and a smile shone out from his face again. "Yeah. Can we go on the carousel first? I like carousels."

"No, let me buy you a cotton candy. I want to make sure you keep your magic strength up."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I've never had cotton candy before."

"All the more reason I should get you one!"

But while the two boys joyfully laughed and ran off towards the booths hand in hand, someone else wasn't quite as happy. Zelda had just wiped up the last of her tears and turned around to begin her lonely trek back to the castle when she noticed them. Immediately, she slipped back behind the building and peered out to observe them closer.

Link was with that sorcerer again. They were awfully happy about something...and even more suspiciously, they were holding hands.

Those large, innocent blue eyes narrowed and resolved to follow after them...noting down their every move.


	6. Explosion

Ta-dah! Not too long, was it? I'm trying... It's chapter six! Otherwise known as "Bad Things Happen to Vaati Part Ten Thousand"! When will bad things stop happening to Vaati?

Heh. I should've saved my litttle "don't hate Zelda" speech for this chapter. This chapter will _really _make you dislike her. I'll only say this in her defense--try to keep the ages in mind. She's only thirteen. She's very confused. Plus, she needs to grow up a little. And perhaps she will...

I never meant for the attack scene to be so long and detailed, but sometimes, I just take stuff and run with it. Also, it may seem like I just threw in the Electricity Element because they needed to find it, but I actually had that planned earlier. Every element doesn't need a dungeon. And writing a dungeon for every one would be pretty boring--for me to write, and for you to read.

And now a few words from our sponsors:

Recently, the fic that inspired Vaati's attacks in this story has been posted on this site. Originally only posted on DeviantArt, nabusuki's "to be whole" is what gave me the idea for Vaati's attack sequences, particularly the one with Link. Though short and not properly formatted, the story had the potential enough for me to steal from it, so it's worth checking out.

Also, for anyone who doesn't know yet, Ripuku has begun another LinkxVaati story, entitled "Helping Me", inspired by this one! I feel honored!

Huzzah for my grand opening of the first LinkxVaati/VaatixLink C2-Green and Lavender! It makes me so happy to see my little ship growing! Long live LinkxVaati slash!!!

Link, Vaati, Zelda, the form demons, exc. belong to Nintendo...blah.

(-)

Chapter 6: Explosion

_I'm dead_, Link decided. _I must have died. Maybe I drowned in the magic. I can't go to Heaven unless I die first. So therefore, I must be dead_. He felt exhausted, but a joyous, glorious feeling had settled inside him. It didn't hurt at all... In fact, he felt better than ever before.

The events of last night drifted through his mind like a dream or a wonderful fantasy. None of it seemed real. Those glowing sprinkles of magic in the air...the never-ending peace, warmth, and comfort. It felt like one of those perfect fairytale lands you always read about but could never find in the real world.

Link and Vaati had spent all night riding the carousel, the ferris wheel, and the boats. Link had wanted to try the roller coaster, but Vaati was too afraid, so they'd backed out. Besides, Link had really only wanted to ride it to get Vaati to cling to him. He got plenty of cling time on the ferris wheel and the boats. Vaati had really only put the boats in to give Link and Zelda a romantic ride alone. It was one of those "Tunnel of Love" type contraptions.

"Well, we don't have to go on the Tunnel of Love," Vaati had told him with a short laugh.

"Yes, we do," Link had insisted, and dragged him onto it.

And it was a good thing too, because that was where most of his cling time came from. There was nothing better to do while floating through a nightmare of swans and roses and being serenaded with ballet compositions. It was pretty nice getting stuck at the top of the ferris wheel as well. Neither of them noticed their stowaway.

Link also desperately tried at each of the game booths to win something to give Vaati.

"It's really no use," Vaati tried to argue with him. "Even if you win something, it's just going to disappear tomorrow morning."

"I know," Link stubbornly replied while putting down another ten rupees on the fishing mini-game. "But I want to give back to you somehow. You made this whole wonderful evening for me."

Eventually, after his seventh try, he won, and let Vaati choose a stuffed animal. He picked out a fluffy white cucco.

"I knew it." Link rolled his eyes. "You like cuccos so much."

Vaati squeezed the cucco plushie and glared back at him. "Well, it's not my fault you hate them so much." He lifted the cucco up to his face and flapped its wings at Link, threateningly. "I'm going to get you this time..." he squawked in a very cucco-esque voice. "You'll pay for eating my father, Filbert! _There shall be blood_!!!" He lunged forward and repeatedly tapped the cucco's beak against Link's cheek, as if it were pecking him.

Link laughed and swatted it back with a hand. "What?!" Vaati replied, in his cucco voice. "Are you laughing at me?! How dare you laugh at me!!!"

"Filbert?" Link questioned. "Where did that come from?"

Vaati finally relented, pulled the cucco back into his arms, and shrugged. "It was the first cucco name that came into my mind."

"You know a cucco named Filbert?"

"Yeah. One of the ones I talked to was named Filbert."

Link smiled and patted the plush on the head. "Well, it looks like my little assassin has a name."

"But Filbert's his _father's_ name," Vaati objected. "Not _his _name."

"Well, then he's Filbert Jr."

After they were finished with the rides, they sat down and had a couple of ice cream cones before finally heading back to the castle. Still, even after returning to their room, they were unwilling to call it a night, and broke into one last pillow fight/wrestling match before bed. By the time it was all over, neither of them wanted to move.

"I think this was the best day of my life," Link replied in a winded voice. Vaati could only nod in agreement. Slowly, they curled up together and eventually got under the covers.

"Do you mind if Filbert Jr. joins us tonight?" Vaati pulled the stuffed cucco off the floor and clutched it between his body and Link's.

"Awww..." Link patted Vaati on the head and launched into baby-talk. "Widdle Vaati still sweeps wif stuffed ammimals."

"Hey! You're the one who gave it to me!"

"I know." Link smiled back. "It's too bad that it has to disappear tomorrow..."

As it turned out, it didn't. When they woke up the next morning, the cucco was still there. The rest of the carnival had vanished, but that one small memory of it remained. Vaati was too tired to get out of bed, though. He'd used some of his magic in order to retain the little plushie, and Link had to feed him breakfast before he could get back up.

The next few days passed the same as before, with Vaati making daily trips to town for his good deeds list. Then, at night, the two of them would pillow fight and wrestle. Sometimes, afterward, Link would remain awoke, petting Vaati like he used to. He felt so relieved now that he'd released himself from avoidance. He still had to keep his little urges in check, but he could still do everything he'd done before. Vaati was really happy to be petted again, though he couldn't understand why it had suddenly started back up.

After awhile, Link even began to pet parts of his face. He'd brush the hair just over his ear, then move down to caress his cheek. Vaati didn't mind at all. The first time, he might've blushed a little, but he came to enjoy it and lean his cheek into his palm in accordance. Not for the first time, Link wondered if Vaati even _would_ have objected if he'd followed through on his sudden urge. But then again, he didn't want to reach a point when hewould_ have_ to object.

As the days went on, Link even began to feel Vaati's cheeks growing smoother and softer. He couldn't feel his pointy cheekbones anymore. He beamed with pride for him. The time of his sickly, suicidal despair now seemed so far away.

A few times, as Link lay curled next to Vaati, fondling his face, he would repeatedly brush the flopping bang out of his right eye to feel that cheek. "You know..." he said. "I don't ever want you to cut your hair--but I wouldn't mind if you cut this thing back. It just gets in the way of your beautiful face."

A little flush started up in the cheeks Link was brushing. "Well...it's not like this normally. For some reason, it grows whenever I become human."

Yeah. Link had to agree. That was the one thing he preferred in Vaati's picori self--his adorable bangs.

Several times, Link continued to worry about his position in this little relationship. He was mostly always the one initiating their cuddling sessions. Of course, it didn't bother him that Vaati never did those things to him, but it still reaffirmed his theory that he was just Vaati's pillow. But he liked being Vaati's pillow. Once, the happy, exhausted sorcerer even fell asleep with his arms around his waist. Link didn't even make a motion to remove them.

Before anyone knew it, another week had passed.

Strangely enough, Zelda began to join them when they went out to town in the mornings. She was stir-crazy, and after she found out where they went during the day, she'd asked to come with them. Link readily agreed. Finally, he'd have someone to talk to while Vaati ran around invisible.

The two of them were sitting at the edge of the town fountain one afternoon, dipping their hands into the pool and idly making ripples. "So..." Zelda gently sat up and gripped her gloves in her left hand. "Have you made any progress on finding the Electricity Element?"

"Huh?" Link turned his head, confusedly up from the ripple he'd just created. "What?"

Zelda giggled. "The _Electricity Element_. You didn't forget, did you?"

"Ah...ah!" Link's eyes widened. "The Electricity Element!"

"What?" Zelda's eyes lit up. "Did you find it?!"

_No_, Link admitted in his head. _Just the opposite--I haven't even started _looking _for it! _His body shook, just slightly. _I can't believe I just completely forgot! That's the whole reason we came here in the first place! I've just been thinking about Vaati... The whole world could've crumbled around us, and we probably wouldn't have even noticed! _He looked around the town, wondering where Vaati was right now. _I hope he's almost done with his list. We have to find that Element and move on to the next one. We've already spent too much time playing around here_. It had been almost three weeks since they'd arrived at the castle. They should've found all four Secondary Elements by now.

"N-No..." Link tried to make a reply. "I just got an idea for where it might be!"

"Oh." Zelda was undoubtedly very confused. Hadn't they already been through this before? Oh, well.

As Link mumbled out an excuse and ran off into town, she sat back and stared into the fountain. _I'll bet he has no idea where it is. He's been too busy playing with his little sorcerer friend. Why does he like him so much anyway? He's another boy, so they can't be...like that. They're just good friends. But...he's only known him for...what? A few months? And he likes him more than me? Maybe it's not that he likes him so much...maybe he just doesn't like me anymore? _Zelda tried to swallow back her tears. Link would be coming back again, and she didn't want him to see her like this and ask about it. _He even took him on the Tunnel of Love_, she remembered from the carnival. _But...but I know it's not like that... It can't be..._

(-)

In order to find Vaati, Link had to smack into him. It took a while, but eventually, his stategy of tearing through the town like a madman paid off, and he slammed against something soft in the air. Immediately, he grabbed it to prevent it from running off.

Vaati, invisible, shivered and looked down at Link's hand around his hip. _He doesn't know where he's got me_, he assured himself, tying to keep from blushing too badly. _He probably thinks he grabbed my hand...or my waist. _

"F-Follow me," Link managed to whisper, and when Vaati looked up, he noticed how red his face had become. His hand was immediately retreating.

_Or maybe he _does _realize_... It was a good thing Link couldn't see Vaati's face just then.

He obediently followed him through town and into the same dark alley where they'd hidden before on their first trip through so long ago. Vaati took a deep breath and dropped his invisibility spell. "What did you want?"

"I just realized something." Link's face was returning to its normal grave seriousness. "We've been here almost three weeks."

"Yeah?" Vaati asked. "It's been a great three weeks!"

Link shook him a little. "No! We've completely forgotten the Electricity Element!"

"...The what?"

"Exactly."

Vaati paused for a minute, sifting through his fragments of memory. His smile began to fade. "No...Oh no... I completely forgot! I've been concentrating on this list mission... Oh, I knew it!"

Link reached forward in concern as Vaati's face fell into his hands. Why was he so upset about this? So they'd forgotten. So what? Now, they'd remembered and they'd go find it.

"I should have never come with you," Vaati finally forced out. "It's my fault we've had to waste all this time. I only came because...because I wanted to get people to like me. It's not because I want to save the world. This is all because of my selfishness!"

_Now_ he understood. Everything was _always_ Vaati's fault. At least in Vaati's mind it was.

"_I _forgot, too," Link reminded him. "It wasn't just you. And c'mon...you weren't wasting all this time. You were out doing good and making people happy. That's almost the same as saving the world. If anyone's been wasting time, it's me. I've just been..." Link stopped himself from saying "fantasizing about you"...but he thought it.

Then, something dawned on him. "Hey...if you're se selfish and only help people in order to earn their esteem, why do you always stay invisible? You could've just let them see you doing these good things for them."

"Because..." Vaati tried to think of an answer, but he had none. He lifted his head and looked back into Link's face. "Because..."

"Because you're not as selfish as you think you are," Link replied. "You only appeared before the researcher because he didn't know who you were. And you know--he thought you were an angel." Before he knew it, Link was pulling him into another hug.

"Ah..." Vaati leaned his head down against his shoulder. Then, he remembered again and immediately pulled away. "Well, yeah!" he decided. "Standing around here and regretting it isn't going to help anything. C'mon, let's go find that element!" He was so determinded, he immediately broke into a sprint straight out of the alley and towards Hyrule Castle.

"Wait!" Link called after in alarm. "You don't have your..."

"Aaaaaugh!" Vaati came tearing back into the alley. Apparently, he'd just figured it out himself. "Stupid!!! Did anyone see me?!"

"I don't think so," Link assured him. "But then again, I couldn't really see. At least I don't hear any angry mobs starting up, so I think you're safe."

Vaati sighed as he began to fade out again. "This is a pain in the butt. I'll meet you back at the castle."

(-)

And so Link and Vaati went out on their first castle exploration session, with no success. Link had insisted on checking the dungeon first, because as the Law of the Universe stared, important items like elements were always kept in a big, labyrinthine dungeon, guarded by a monster. But that dungeon obviously wasn't the castle dungeon.

Vaati couldn't stand being down there for too long. The king hardly ever took any prisoners, but Vaati envisioned himself behind those bars every time he passed them. He was in every single cell.

Would he ever stop thinking like that? Link thought he was doing a pretty good job as pillow, but Vaati only seemed to get worse with consecutive search sessions. "There's that huge pit of death with the spider-webs," he said when they entered the grand ballroom. When they were walking through the halls, it was "Everyone's so alive..." And when they searched the inner garden, "It's such a sacred place...and I forced my way in..."

All of these little encounters were mounting, and Link should've been on guard. He should have made preparations and expected what was to happen. And maybe he did expect it. But there were a few other things along with it that he never would have been able to expect.

(-)

Link didn't feel Vaati slip out of bed beside him. He wasn't concerned about the light down the hall. He was safe and sound in a warm, fuzzy half-sleep and pretty much dead to the world around him.

Vaati wasn't. He hadn't been able to sleep, and this time, he couldn't figure out why. He hadn't even eaten any sugary food today. He didn't feel sick at all... He shivered. He was cold now, but he hadn't been cold at all before. In fact, it was very warm next to Link's body heat. Maybe it was too warm?

Vaati finally stood up, his bare feet squishing against the plush red carpet. Maybe if he drank some water, or milk, or something, it would help him get to sleep. _Yeah_, he decided, beginning to head towards Link's sack on its peg in the wall. _That's what I'll do. Just find a bottle of water, drink some of it, and try to go back to bed. Link won't mind. I'll tell him what happened tomorrow morning. _

But in order to do that, he had to walk around to the other side of the bed...and pass by the bureau. There was nothing wrong with the bureau...except for the large tilting mirror attached to the back of it. And when Vaati passed that mirror, he discovered what had interrupted his sleep.

He didn't scream. He was too paralyzed with fright.

A face was looking back at him, following his every move...a face that wasn't his own. No...a face that _was_ his own. It was inhumanly circular with such a long, skinny neck that you couldn't even really tell where it ended and where its shoulders began. The shoulder-pads of its costume were entirely gold and turned up in sharp points. Two similar long, curving horns protruded from its forehead. But worst of all were its eyes. Two little pupil-less ovals blazing straight through his body. That gaze had him pinned to the floor.

That malicious otherworldly presence...had it always been here? Did it show up while they were sleeping and hover over them...waiting for an opportunity to swoop down for the kill?

"Of course." A horrific, echoing voice wrapped around the room.

The figure was beginning to move. It glided forward, effortlessly, through the mirror. There were no legs, and its long, elaborate robe fluttered over empty space. It seemed to be speaking to him...

"You can never escape me. I'm always watching you...no matter where you go."

Vaati's heart froze in his chest. Those words... It wasn't speaking. Those words had just slipped off of his own lips.

"Because I am you."

And then, in a cloud of smoke and pastel fire, which seemed to blend in with the darkness around him, the figure burst out into something entirely different. A gigantic red eyeball floated in the air, fixated, goring into his heart. Large, thin bat wings on either side held it up, along with smaller wings underneath, and similar horns protruded from its top.

Vaati couldn't look away. He wanted to, and with all his might, he tried to break its gaze, but he couldn't. It was going to crush him under its glare.

Vaati dimly became aware of his heart beating wildly. _Was _that his heart? Something was rattling at his ribcage, like an imprisoned monkey, trying to break the bars down.

Then all at once, the figure burst into puffy wisps of darkness. At last, it was gone. But Vaati had no time to feel relieved.

Immediately, that feeling in his chest intensified. His eyes bulged and he doubled over, clutching desperately at his chest. There...there was something _inside _it. It wasn't just his heart, he was sure. There was something inside of him...something _alive_.

"Allow...allow me to demonstrate..." That awful voice slithered out of his mouth again. And the creature made another lunge at his ribcage.

Vaati was shaking out of control and sweat dripped down his body, but he couldn't feel any of it. His knees suddenly buckled, sending him crashing down onto the floor, but he couldn't feel that either. _Stop...Please...make it stop..._

There was a brief, sweet moment of repose...and then, it started again. This time, it was even worse than before. Vaati never remembered having felt so much pain in his life. It was hot, searing, and very, very sharp. It was desperate...it was trying to tear its way out of him. It was clawing its way through his insides. Soon, it would completely tear him apart. His head felt as if it might explode at any minute.

"Ssssssee?" Vaati was in too much pain to even attempt speech, but that _thing_ was plucking his vocal chords and forcing its own voice out of him. His voice. They were one in the same. "I am always here...inside you. Did you think you were in control? Your body is mine!"

And then, it finally succeeded. With one last shove, it burst out of its captivity. Vaati felt every piece of his body go up in flames.

And at last, another noise came out of him. It was just as inhuman as the voice of his parasite...but distinctly his own this time.

"HGAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!"

(-)

A terrible noise suddenly jarred Link out of his peaceful slumber. Screaming. Someone had just screamed. It suddenly occured to him that he couldn't feel Vaati's round little kneecaps against his back anymore. A dread coldness swept over him.

"_Vaati_!!!" In an instant, Link was leaping from the bed and flying to the other side where Vaati had been. His eyes met with the most horrific scene he could have imagined. Blanketed in the darkness, every nuance of the position stood out. Vaati was almost flattened, on his knees against the carpet. His hair draped over his face, sweeping the ground, and he was gripping so tightly to his torso that he had begun to tear his tunic apart.

"Oh my--_Vaati_!!!" Though he'd just woken up one minute ago, Link had never felt so awoke in his life. What was wrong?! Had something happened to him?! Had that wound on his chest suddenly opened back up?! Was it an attack?! He needed a doctor!!!

Link almost fell to the ground next to Vaati. His arms flew to his shoulders and he gently swept his curtain of hair out of the way to reveal his face. "Vaati!!! Vaati, what's wrong?!?! What happened?!?!"

When he'd first felt it, Vaati's shoulder had been vibrating more violently then ever before...but gently, it was beginning to steady itself. Vaati's head lifted up, and his eyes met with Link's. His face was so white in this darkness, and drops of liquid shone against it. Tears mixed with perspiration.

"L-L-Link..." He was barely able to speak, and his voice seemed ragged and raspy. "D-Don't...stay away. I-I-I...don't want to h-hurt you."

"_You _hurt _me_?!" Link cried. "_You're _the one that's hurting!!! What's wrong with you?! Should I call a doctor?!"

"N-No." Now, the tears were flowing more steadily. "I...I'm not who you think I am. There's...there's this demon in me, and it's trying to get out. I...I'm afriad. I don't want to hurt anybody. Especially you. Please...you have to get away from me."

Link could see the pain in his eyes, and he began to share some of that pain. He slipped his hands up Vaati's neck to cup his chin in his palms. "Vaati, it's not real. You were just having an attack. It's okay now... You're not a demon. There's no demon inside you. It's all in your head."

"N-N-No..." Vaati closed his eyes, so he wouldn't have to look at him. "It's real. I could feel it. It was trying to tear me apart. It could make me say things that I wasn't saying."

"That was the attack," Link explained. "Remember that one where you feel yourself transforming into those evil forms?"

"This wasn't the same!" Vaati cried. "It was so...real. I've never had an attack like that. Y-You don't understand... You remember when that happened? All those terrible things I said? That wasn't me--it wasn't me who said them! I remember being inside...I was trying to drive that thing out, but I couldn't do it by myself. You had to help me. B-But...it's not gone completely."

Link was completely stunned for a moment. Was Vaati saying that...he was possessed? That couldn't be true. No. It couldn't be.

His hands slipped down to Vaati's back and he gripped it tightly. "No. No, I know that's not it. You're just too afraid. You let it engulf you. You're starting to mix your attacks up with reality. Look...it's stopped now, isn't it? The demon stopped trying to tear out of you the moment I touched you, didn't it?"

Vaati's face relaxed a little and he shivered. "Y-Yeah...there's no more pain."

"See?" Link reached forward and slowly began to brush away his tears. "You remember now. It _was_ you that said all those things. But it's okay. You saw that you were beginning to lose control of your body...you'd abused the power of the Light Force, and it was consuming you. You wanted it to stop--you wanted it out of your body. Maybe that's what you're remembering trying to push out of your body. Not this "demon". And with my help, it came out. Now everything's fine. That will never happen again."

Fresh tears were squeezing from under Vaati's eyelids. "I don't know...I'm so scared. Ohmygoddess, I'm just so scared..." He was beginning to lean forwards, towards him, and Link pulled him the rest of the way, into a tight embrace.

Link was scared too. Vaati was living in a world he couldn't see...full of terrors and warped realities. He was afraid he'd lose Vaati into that terrible other world, and he wouldn't be able to bring him back. He clenched the shivering sorcerer as if he might be torn away from him by some forceful tornado. "I'll never leave you, Vaati," he whispered, tears filling his own eyes. "No matter if you turn into a demon or whatever. Just don't leave me."

Link helped him to his feet after they finally slipped apart. As he led him back to the bed, they had to pass the mirror one the bureau again. Link felt Vaati beginning to tremble. He'd told him about the figure in the mirror. Vaati expected to see it again as they approached.

"Look," Link took him by the shoulders and pulled him in front of the mirror. Automatically, Vaati squeezed his eyes shut and tensed every muscle in his body. Link felt him tense up under his hands, and began to rub his shoulders. "C'mon...just open your eyes. It's okay. I'm right here."

Comforted by Link's warm, soft hands, Vaati finally took a breath and lifted his eyelids.

"...Now does that look like a demon to you?"

Vaati found himself looking into an image of a pallid distressed, ghastly creature. The one eye he could see was very red--even more than usual. The skin underneath it was all puffy and discolored. Some kind of iquid was dripping off its cheeks, and its long hair was all frazzled and sticking out in every direction. Its dark clothing was ripped in several places. "...Wow," he finally said after a minute. A tiny smile was poking at his lips. "...I'm a mess."

Link couldn't help smiling too. "Yeah. C'mon, now. It's time for bed. You can sleep off your messiness."

"I don't want to sleep," Vaati insisted, as the two of them sat back down on the fluffy mattress. "I'm exhausted, but I don't want to sleep."

"Okay," Link replied, as if comforting a child who had just had a nightmare. "We don't have to sleep right now." He reached over and switched on the lamp, which instantly sent a flood of relief into the room. "I'll stay awake with you until you feel better. Even if it takes all night. Okay?"

Vaati was beginning to feel better already. "Okay."

(-)

Zelda was awoke as soon as she heard the scream. It pierced through the walls and down the corridor, into her room. In a second, she was out of bed and flying out the door. But when she reached the corridors, she had no way of knowing where to go. She hadn't been able to make out the direction that the scream had come from, but it had to have been somewhere along this corridor. It couldn't have been Link--that voice was too high-pitched. A light breeze along the length of the hallway rustled her pink, ruffled nightgown. Something wasn't right here, and she had to find out what.

That was when she made up her mind to peer into each room along the hallway in order to find where the scream had come from. It was a difficult task, since the keyholes were set into the doorknobs and particularly hard to look through. The first one she came to was just a storage room. The next held a few beds with several sleeping female figures. _They must be guests_, Zelda decided. _But none of them look distressed. Time to move on_. The next few rooms held more indiscernible guest figures and day guards. Finally, she reached the next one down the corridor and came to Link and Vaati's room. To her surprise, there was a light on.

_Them? But it wasn't Link. Vaati screamed then? Why would he be screaming? _Naturally, she was curious. _Don't they sleep in the same bed, too? Not that it makes any difference. There's nothing suspicious about that. There simply isn't enough space_. Still, she couldn't stop herself from moving closer to the keyhole. Luckily for her, the keyhole in their door was a little bigger, and below the doorknob. This _was_ an older room, anyway. Slowly, she kneeled down and placed her eye at level with it. That blue eye widned a little further.

Link was actually in the bed with Vaati...but they weren't lying on their own, clearly defined sides. In fact, they weren't lying at all. They were touching. Vaati's head rested against Link's thigh--in his lap--and Link was gently brushing his slightly frazzled hair.

Her breath caught in her throat. She could hear her heart pounding. _What? ...Why?_ They were just friends...that had to be. Link wasn't like that. No, Link couldn't be gay... He'd never acted like that...and she'd known him all her life. In fact, she used to sometimes catch him looking at other girls and give him a whack over the head for it. Link being gay had never once crossed her mind. He wasn't the type.

_Well... _Vaati_ on the other hand..._ She'd always thought that he was a bit on the effeminate side. She'd even truly mistaken him for a girl when he'd been in drag. And he sure seemed to be enjoying having his hair stroked. ...But Link seemed to be enjoying stroking it just as much.

They were whispering to each other, but their voices were too soft to hear. They spoke in gentle, loving tones.

No. No, no, no. This was wrong. All wrong. Zelda wanted to shut her eyes and look away, but she was mesmerized by the very sight.

Vaati was slowly beginning to move upwards... He sat up, moved behind Link, and wound his arms around his chest, laying his head on his shoulder. Link was smiling as he reached back to embrace him and run his hands down his arms. He slowly ended up pulling him back around to the front and into a hug. Vaati snuggled compliantly into his chest.

And then, Zelda couldn't believe her eyes. Her heart was freezing. It happened as if in some bizarre dream sequence. Link was whispering again. His voice was so soft and gentle...even though she couldn't hear them, he must've been speaking some very warm, comforting words. And then...he leaned over to the side...and softly pressed his lips against Vaati's cheek.

Zelda felt her own cheeks prickling. She stood paralyzed by the keyhole. Sure, she reasoned. She'd seen boys show a little affection towards one another before. She'd seen plenty of boys hug each other. ...But boys their age normally didn't kiss each other. Even in this innocent way. Plus...the way they embraced and fondled each other... There was something around them...a kind of glow. Something wasn't right here. That atmosphere... It almost seemed like...magic...

Zelda's hands clenched. Now she knew. She knew what was wrong here. She couldn't just march in there and stop it, but now, she had the idea. At last, she pulled away, leaving Vaati and Link to their close togetherness. She'd find an opportunity eventually...she just had to wait for it to present itself.

As Zelda slipped quietly back down the hallway on her satin slippers, she suddenly remembered that scream that had initially concerned her. Vaati's scream... Yes...that explained it all.

(-)

Link couldn't help it. He didn't even know what he was saying, but whatever it was, it was something very nice. Is that what "sweet nothings" were? He had to do something. Something other than just holding Vaati. Something to fill Vaati's heart with joy and remove any last sorrows that still remained.

Link couldn't believe what he was doing. Sure, it was only a little kiss on the cheek, but it _was_ the first time he'd dared to kiss Vaati anywhere. He beat himself inside his head. _Why'd you do that?! It might only scare him off even more! _

But it was quite to the contrary. Vaati's cheek glowed as soon as he pulled away from it. He felt the arms around him tighten. Gently, Vaati closed his eyes and took a deep, satisfied breath. All was silent and peaceful. It felt like they were wrapped in a warm, blissful bubble of light.

After awhile--Link had no idea how long--he began to move backwards. Slowly, gently, he lied down against the bed on his back, pulling Vaati with him. Vaati didn't seem to notice their movement at all, even though he was now resting on top of Link, his head turned sideways on his chest. He was so comfortable. Link could feel the gentle fluctuations of his torso as he softly breathed in and out. He closed his own eyes and savored the feeling of this warm life against him. It was a while before he discovered that Vaati was asleep.

_Ah, what does it matter?_ he decided. There was no way he was going to wake him up...or chance moving and waking him up with the movement. And so he fell asleep underneath him.

(-)

As was natural, Vaati slept late the next morning. Link just let him keep sleeping--he needed his rest after that ordeal. He was extra tired and very magic-drained, only confirming that it had indeed been an attack. Thankfully, he rolled off during the night, so Link was able to get up without waking him. He gently pulled the covers around him, and, noticing his stuffed cucco on the floor, placed it on the bed next to him. _That way, when he wakes up, the first thing he'll see is Filbert Jr. ...Jeez, that would scare the crap out of me._

And so Link woke up, had breakfast, and got ready. He made sure to set some aside for Vaati. Then, he had nothing to do. He didn't want to leave, in case Vaati woke up. Part of him wished Zelda would wander over and come to visit him. He wondered what she was doing now. Then, he began to examine the room, looking in all of the cupboards of the bureau. But there was nothing in there except some stinky moth balls.

Out of sheer boredom, Link got undressed again and attempted to try on Vaati's dress. What was it like to wear a dress, anyway? Not very pleasant. It didn't fit Link well at all, and he gave up as soon as he had tried to pull it over his waist, for fear of ripping its seams apart. Even if Vaati never had to wear it again, it was still an expensive dress, and they might be able to sell it off somewhere. Link then settled for sitting in a rocking chair and fiddling with the contents of his sack.

It was almost noon by the time Vaati woke up. "Mmmm..." Link heard him mumble, from the chair. "Hey...it's Filbert Jr."

Link stood up to look over at Vaati. His eyes were open, but he wasn't moving much. He just stared at the cucco plush and smiled a little. "Good morning!" Link rushed over to his side of the bed. "Or afternoon. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Vaati assured him. "But I still feel kind of weak. And shaky."

"You'll feel better after you get some food in you," Link announced, sweeping the breakfast tray closer. "Here. I saved you some cereal and a muffin. Though the muffin's a little cold now..."

"Thank you..." Vaati moved a little bit, but didn't sit up. "I'll eat it later. I'm too tired right now."

Link frowned, holding the bowl of cereal. "What? You're too tired to _eat_?"

Vaati barely gathered the strength to nod. "I told you--I feel weak."

Link set the bowl down."Well, if you're _that_ weak, then you really _do _need this." He leaned over, grabbed Vaati's shoulders, and propped him up. "I hope you're not too weak to chew." He grabbed the bowl, sat down on the bed next to him, and scooped some of the cereal onto the spoon.

Vaati chuckled, softly. "You're going to hand-feed me?"

"Yup! Open wide!"

After Link had spooned the last bit of cereal into Vaati's mouth, he did feel much stronger, and was able to eat the muffin by himself. "So," he asked, after he had finished. "What are we going to do today?"

"That's what I was just worrying about," Link admitted. "I don't want to go looking for the Electricity Element again. Being in this castle is having a bad effect on you. You were getting better, and your attacks were starting to go away, but now you've had this relapse..."

"I'm sorry."

"Will you stop apologizing, like everything's your fault?" Link had heard that line from Vaati at least a hundred times, and by now, he was getting sick of it. "I thought you learned from Melta that you're not always the problem."

Vaati dangled his bare feet off the end of the bed, nervously. "Um...I'm sorry for saying I'm sorry?"

Link sighed. "Well...um...anyway, I was thinking that maybe we should try to locate it first. Remember what you did to find out that it was here?"

"Yeah, but that requires a lot of magic," Vaati informed him. "And I barely have enough magic for this..." He touched the little rips in his tunic, sealing them up.

"Hmm...well..." Link wracked his brain and tried to think back to their little conversation about how to find the Electricity Element. "...Didn't you say that the Metal Element resonated with the Electricity Element or something? So...do you think we could use it like a detector?" He reached up to retrieve his sack from its peg and fished the element out of it. It was glowing, but he couldn't tell if that was natural or because of its proximity to the Electricity Element.

Vaait stared into it. "...Maybe," he finally considered. "I've never heard about doing that before, but... Maybe if we walk around the castle with it, it'll start to change. It _is_ glowing..."

"But I don't _want _to walk around the castle," Link explained. "If you walk around the castle, you might start thinking again. But I can't just leave you here and go off on my own--you'd start thinking again."

Vaati chuckled. "I'm going to start thinking again no matter what we do, so we may as well go out and search. I'm feeling a little better now, and if you're with me, it'll help to keep me grounded."

Link took a deep breath. "Okay. But stay close and try not to let your mind wander."

It took another two hours for Vaati to get ready. He refused to step out of the room until his hair was in perfect, smooth, silky form again. Link eventually grew impatient and pulled out another brush from one of the bureau draws to help.

They decided to search their own floor first and pass the Metal Element over the four corners of the castle to see if it began reacting at all. Link held the element out with one hand, and held Vaati's hand with the other. Vaati walked close next to him and kept his eyes fixated on the shiny silver essence. Both of them were so focused on watching the object that they didn't even notice when Zelda came walking down the hall towards them.

"Hey!" she stopped to greet them. "You finally woke up! I was starting to think you'd planned on staying in bed all day!"

"Oh, no!" Link broke away from the steadily glowing element to look into Zelda's equally bright face. "We had to come out and keep searching for the Electricity Element. We're pretty close to finding it by now. Anyway, Vaati wasn't feeling well last night, and we both didn't get a lot of sleep."

"I see." For an instant, Zelda's eyes flickered downwards, but they quickly returned to look into Vaati's face this time. "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better."

Vaati bowed his head and murmured a "thank you." Neither of them wanted her to know about the attacks because they didn't want to worry her.

Then, Zelda turned her attention back to Link. "And how are _you_ feeling?" she asked, quite unexpectedly.

"Uh...I'm fine," Link replied, his face twisting in confusion. "But thanks for your concern."

"Okay..." Zelda's eyes lingered on him for a moment before she turned and began to head off at last. "...Just make sure you don't catch whatever Vaati's got, okay?" She swept elegantly down the hall, leaving the boys completely puzzled.

They just looked at each other, shrugged, and continued with their search.

(-)

"So how do you feel about Zelda?"

Vaati's visible eyebrow bent into a confused scoop. "...What?"

"Zelda," Link repeated. "How do you feel about her?"

"Why?" Vaati asked. "To tell you the truth, I barely even know her, so I really don't have a basis to judge her by. Why in the world would you...? I mean, that just came out of nowhere!"

"Well...I've been thinking..." Link sat back on the bed next to where Vaati was currently seated.

They hadn't had any results today, though they did notice the Metal Element begin to glow more faintly in one section of the castle, as if they were moving away from its companion. Unfortunately, that meant they would have to continue the search tomorrow.

"What? About Zelda?" Vaati interrupted. "I thought you said you didn't like her. Or...did you think _I _liked her? I only went after her for the Light Force, and I promise you, I never even touched her when she was a statue..."

"That's not what I meant!" Link snapped. Somehow, the image of Vaati touching stone Zelda lit a fire in his chest. "I was thinking about the possibility of you staying with her next time."

Vaati was silent, considering it. "You mean...drop me off with her as a baby-sitter while you go off looking for the Electricity Element?"

"I-I'm not suggesting that you need a baby-sitter," Link quickly cut in. "Just some company. She'd keep you company while I'm gone. I could cover more ground that way. I promise, I'd come get you the moment I discovered something."

Vaati frowned, but after a while, began to realize the sense in what he was saying. "Well...I guess we could try it. I don't mind staying with Zelda. Actually, that's one way I could get to know her better. We've hardly ever got to talk to each other. And she seems like a nice enough person. Even though she'd connected with...you-know-what, I don't feel anxious or guilty when I'm around her either."

"Okay." Link smiled, though somewhat forlornly. "It's a plan." He didn't really want to be separated from Vaati, but he had to think of what was best for the both of them. This way, Link could move through the castle quicker with the Metal Element "detector", and Vaati wouldn't have to walk through parts that reminded him of last year again.

That night's events only confirmed the necessity of this plan. Vaati once again had trouble falling asleep, and Link had to hold him and rock him until he drifted off in his arms again. Though he always protested that he was strong enough not to need constant care, Link knew he really needed this sheltering...at least until he could pull away from his attacks altogether. No matter what he thought, he needed his protection.

(-)

So much for being constantly sheltered. Vaati stared at the ornate, carved pink door in front of him. A part of him wanted to shoot off down the hall and catch up with Link, but he had to stick with this plan. If he really wanted to make Link happy, he should do what he suggested. Besides, it wouldn't be too bad, hanging out with Zelda for a few hours. _As long as she doesn't insist on practicing hairstyles on me_. He didn't know if Zelda liked to do that, but it was something he knew girls liked to do to each other when they had long hair.

_Okay, c'mon_, he told himself. _All you have to do is knock. Knock, tell Zelda what's happening, and walk in_. Although she had pardoned him and seemed perfectly fine with the whole situation, he was still a little nervous around her. _Well, she's the Princess of Hyrule!_ He comforted himself. _It's only right that you should be nervous. But she's a nice princess, so you have nothing to worry about. Now, knock!_ Finally, he willed his hand up, curled it into a fist, and banged it against the painted stone door.

"Who's there?" Zelda's soft voice called out.

_See? Nothing to be afraid of. _

"Um...it's Vaati. Link went off to look for the Electricity Element by himself, so...do you think I could stay with you until he gets back?"

Silence.

"Oh!" Zelda finally burst out again, her voice slightly muffled from the door. In a minute, the door was flying open, much to Vaati's shock. Zelda stood on the other side, smiling sweetly. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting _you _to come visit me. Not that I'm not happy, of course. We've never really gotten a chance to talk together. Come in, have a seat."

Vaati gently stepped onto the plush pink carpeting just on the other side of the door. Zelda's room looked almost exactly as he remembered it. There was a bureau on his right, and a bookshelf and toy box on his left. A giant wardrobe stood against the left wall, and her vanity against the wall in front of him, along with a trunk probably containing old dresses and items. Her large, elaborate bed was against the right wall, with a canopy draping over it.

When Zelda had entered the room, she'd gestured with one hand towards the corner with the toy box. Vaati finally noticed the small chair there next to the box and carefully sat down in it.

Zelda took a seat on her embroidered vanity cushion and moved herself closer.

They stared at each other.

Vaati shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "So...um, princess...how have you been?"

"Not too well lately," Zelda sighed. "There must be some bug going around. I wish we could go out to town again. You haven't been going back out for your list in the last few days."

"Well..." Vaati admitted. "We need to concentrate on finding the element now. Though I'm not exactly helping...I just get in the way, and need to stay out of it."

"Oh." Zelda frowned a little. "So he'd dumping you here, huh?"

Vaati nodded. "Though I can't blame him. I'm holding up the search."

Zelda stared at him a little harder, but then broke into a friendly smile. "I've got an idea!" she cried. "Let's play a game!"

"A game?" Vaati cocked his head. That had just come out of nowhere. "What do you want to play?"

"Well, I heard of this game called 'Honestly' and I've been dying to try it out. Since you're going to be stuck here with me for so long, why don't you play it with me?"

"O-Okay..." Vaati hesitantly agreed. After all, how could he deny the Princess of Hyrule? "So what's it about?"

"The two players take turns asking each other one question each. The rule is that you have to answer your questions honestly. If you lie, your questioner gets to ask another question."

_So it's like Truth or Dare without the Dare..._ Vaati realized. _I should have realized. Girls love those sorts of games. Though I don't really like the sound of this...I've got a few things I'd really rather no one found out..._

"You can start," Zelda said, smiling over at him.

"N-No, you start!" Vaati insisted. "You're the one who thought of playing the game, so you should start it! Besides, I can't think of any questions right now."

"Okay..." Zelda lapsed into a concentrating frown. "Hmmm... Um...I can't think of anything either. How about... Um, is your hair really purple?"

Vaati almost laughed. Why was that the first thing people always tended to wonder when they met him? "Yes," he answered. "I was born this way. It's weird. And um..." Vaati's body was beginning to tremble as he thought of the question. "Did it hurt when I took the Light Force out of you?"

Zelda smiled and held back giggles herself. "No. I already told you--I was a stone statue! I didn't feel a thing! Now...do you like being a human or a picori better?"

"Human," Vaati immediately answered. "It's nice to not have to live in constant fear of being squashed under some creature's feet. And I just like the way humans look better."

"Aw, but I thought you were so cute as a picori!" Zelda couldn't help adding. "How come...? Oh, stupid! It's your turn. I'm sorry."

Vaati's eyes flickered up into hers. Zelda was perfectly friendly and innocent...but something about her demeanor disturbed him. Her posture didn't seem natural...or relaxed. He shrugged it off and quickly thought up another question. "Do you...like being a princess?"

"Not much," Zelda admitted. "I hate being cooped up in this castle all the time. I wish I could do anything I wanted."

Her face has desended in a very grave, almost dark expression, and Vaati began to feel a bit of sympathy. _She's been in this prison all her life, but she's done nothing wrong. Yet, I've commiteed the most heinous crimes anyone could think of, and I'm allowed to run free. It doesn't seem fair. _

"Okay." Zelda was beginning to recover. She looked up, and straight into Vaati's face. "I heard you screaming a few nights ago. Why were you screaming?"

Vaati froze. Coldness was crawling up his stomach and up into his chest. He couldn't tell her. Link didn't want her knowing, and personally, he wouldn't really feel comfortable with her knowing either. She'd probably feel uncomfortable around him, and he had to prevent that, especially if he had to come back and stay with her like this again. Yet, that would be breaking the game's rules.

_Oh, who cares? _Vaati solidified his decision. _It's just a silly game to pass the time. How would she know if I lied to her? She wasn't there. She doesn't know about my attacks_. "I was having a nightmare," Vaati solidly stated at last. "It woke me up, and I was scared. I was screaming. I hadn't been feeling well that night. Remember what Link said?"

"You lied."

Vaati's heart stopped for a moment. _What?! How could she know...?!_ His visible eye widened. Something wasn't right here.

"That means I get to ask you another question. And you have to give me the truth this time." Zelda stood up off her stool. She had the upper hand now, and this was her chance. The only chance she'd ever get. "What are you doing to Link?"

Vaati's eyes continued to widen as Zelda moved closer, bearing down on him. "What?" he whispered.

"I asked you a question," Zelda stated, her voice growing cold. "And you have to give me the truth."

"I'm not doing anything to Link," Vaati finally replied, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "He's my best friend. I'd never do anything to..."

"You're lying again!"

Vaati almost fell off his chair. Zelda was glaring at him now...the same hatred she'd shown him on the day he broke the Holy Sword.

"I don't take kindly to liars!"

Vaati was shaking, but suddenly, a burning need to protest swelled throughout him. No. No!

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Vaati stood up and tightened his forehead as he turned to face her. "I _am _telling you the truth! I would _never_ hurt Link! ...As long as I'm in my right mind."

"You're _not_ in your right mind," Zelda vehemently added. "Well, it doesn't matter if you admit it or not. _I _know what's going on, and I want you to stop it!!!"

Vaati's face twisted even more, with confusion. "What are you talking about?!"

"You know what I'm talking about!!!" By now, small droplets of tears were forming at the edges of Zelda's narrowing eyes. "You're just using him. You want him to be your little plaything, when he doesn't even like you. It's not fair...it's not fair to Link! Stop it!!! Stop doing this to him!!!"

Vaati stared into her frustrated, tearful face and a bit of that despair began to sweep over him. _I'm using him? He doesn't even like me? It's not fair..._

"Stop it!!!" Zelda yelled again, her eyes completely closing, and tears squeezing out. "STOP!!!"

And, at her cries, a globe of yellow, glowing light burst out around her.

Pure terror shot through Vaati's heart. The light filled the entire room and washed over everything it touched. Vaati could feel it prickling over his skin...crackling and sparking like an electric current, and he immediately drew his arms up to protect himself from the rays.

No...it wouldn't work. He knew it. Those monstrous creatures...that unbearable pain... This was it. The very same essence that had caused all of it. He could feel it... The pain...

"_No_!!!" Vaati shrieked at last, and without a second thought, he bolted out the door, tears breaking out of him again. He almost crashed into two servants who were traveling the halls, but he didn't care at all. _I have to get out of here!!!_ He was desperate now. _I don't want to hurt anyone...I'm going to lose control of my body... OhmyGoddess... I don't want to hurt Link! I don't want to be a monster!!!_

(-)

Nothing. Link was beginning to wonder if the Electricity Element even _was_ in the castle at all. He knew he shouldn't doubt Vaati's abilities, but it was still suspicious. Not once had the Metal Element glowed brighter or faster.

Finally, once he was finished searching the dungeons, only a half-hour later, he decided to give up. He stashed the Metal Element away and went back up to the second floor and Zelda's room. He'd been too distracted this whole time, thinking about Vaati and wondering how he and Zelda were getting along. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea after all. He was so busy thinking and wondering that he might not have even noticed if the element began to blink brighter or faster.

When he reached Zelda's door, his first thought was, _Gee, it's awful quiet in there. Is that a good sign? _He knocked. "I'm back!"

"Come in," Zelda's voice answered.

Link frowned. He'd been expecting to hear Vaati's voice of see him throw the door open in excitement. And Zelda's voice sounded so soft... Gently, he pushed the door open.

Everything was so still. Zelda was sitting at her vanity, her head down against its surface. Vaati was nowhere in sight. What had happened here...?

"Zelda?" Link asked, gently moving closer to her. "What happened? And where's Vaati?"

Zelda's blond hair at last began to shift. She lifted her head and slowly turned it around to face him. There were streaks of tears on her cheeks, but she managed a weak, satisfied smile. "He's gone."

Link's heart began to beat faster. "What?! What happened to him?! Where is he?!"

"I don't know," Zelda replied, at last turning around and standing up to his level. "And I don't care. Do you?"

Link's eyes narrowed. "Of _course_ I do! How come...?! I thought you said you were fine with him! I didn't think you'd be one to hold a grudge! Now tell me what happened!!!"

Zelda slapped him.

It came so sudden and so violent, that Link could barely stop himself from crying out. He was completely stunned. What was going on?! Zelda _never_ acted like this!

"Snap out of it!" she yelled at him. "You've got to wake up, Link! I won't let you be decieved by that wicked sorcerer! I've already taken him down--now you've just got to break out of this!!!"

Link's heart raced. "I've already taken him down"... Suddenly, more rage and desperation than he'd ever felt before surged through him. He seized Zelda by the shoulders and slammed her against the wall. "_What have you done to Vaati_?!?!"

Despite her position, Zelda remained terribly calm. She tipped her head up to look into Link's twisted, terrified face. "I gave him what he deserved. I made him see the truth. He's probably halfway across Hyrule by now. And why do you care so much?"

Link was trembling again. Zelda could feel the vibration of his hands on her shoulders. "Because I like him. I truly do, no matter what you might think. And he cares for me, too. He's more important to me than anything else! And no matter what, that will _never_ change!!!"

Zelda's expression was beginning to soften. Her blue eyes were widening.

At last, Link calmed down enough to pull away. He moved back towards the door and forcefully grabbed the handle. "And I swear, if you've done anything to hurt him, I'll never forgive you!!!"

_SLAM!_

Zelda stood, shaking against the wall, eyes wide and filling with tears. She couldn't control her body's trembling as a terrible sadness swept through her. "It...it wasn't a spell..." She collapsed to her knees, burying her face in her hands...and burst into tears.

(-)

"Vaati! Vaati!!!" Link tore through the castle halls, calling his name. All the servants and knights jumped out of his way as he sped past. "_Vaati_!!!" If anything had happened to him...he'd not only never forgive Zelda, but he'd never be able to forgive _himself_.

The image from a few nights ago flashed through his brain...Vaati lying pressed against the floor, clothes torn and hair strewn everywhere. His face twisted in agony...liquid pouring off it... No...Not again...Never again... He was supposed to protect him from things like this! He'd promised that Vaati would never hurt so much again...but he was failing.

At last, he came to the stone pillars which indicated the entrance and zoomed out into the sunshine. He knocked the two guards out of the way and sped towards the castle steps. "_Vaati_!!!"

There he was, just as he'd dreaded. Vaati was sitting on the lowest step, his head down in his lap, and sobbing.

"Vaati!" In another second, Link was sweeping down the stairs into a kneel, and pulling him into an embrace. "Vaati! Oh, Vaati, I'm sorry..."

Vaati slowly turned around to look at him, but he couldn't stop sobbing. Link brushed his hair and cradled his head as he buried it into his shoulder. "What happened? What did she say to you?"

"She said...she said that you don't really like me. That you're just letting me use you. That I'm doing something to you... Link, I don't want to hurt you...but if something happens...if I turn into a monster again... She did that thing with the Light Force...and I really felt like it...m-might happen again." Vaati was trying to suck in his tears, but he was shivering terribly.

"I know you don't want to hurt me. And I _do_ like you. A lot. I'm here to help you. I'll never leave, no matter what happens. I promise. And I'll never leave you with Zeda again either. Don't listen to her. She's just jealous."

Vaati's shivering slowly began to taper off and he pulled back to look Link in the face. "Jealous? Of _me_? But she's the Princess of Hyrule! And I'm just..."

"...a very special, beautiful picori sorcerer." Link silenced him by pulling him back into the embrace. "She'll never be as beautiful as you."

Vaati wasn't sure if he should take that as a compliment, but he allowed the warmth of Link's body to wrap over him and make all of his fears go away. If only he could just stay there forever...

Unfortunately, they had to separate eventually. They just sat on the step, staring at each other for a long moment. "So now what?" Vaati finally asked. By now, all of his tears were gone and he felt pretty embarrassed for making such a big scene.

"Well..." Link looked up at the castle towering above them. "We have to continue the search. You're coming with me this time."

Whatever confidence Vaati had gained back just fizzled out again. "I'm not going back in there..."

Link sighed. "I don't want to either, but we have to. The Electricity Element is in there, and we need it in order to proceed. For a while, I thought it might not be here...but it _has_ to be."

Vaati's eye widened slightly. He was putting his trust in his calculations. He believed him...and he had to believe himself too. "Yeah..." Vaati reluctantly agreed. "But how are we going to find it? The guards won't let us in again. I asked them, but they'd received an order not to let me back in, and they can't ignore that order."

"What about me?" Link suddenly asked. "Would they let _me_ back in if I asked? Did Zelda's order just tell them not to let Vaati in? Because then, you could just become invisi--ommmph!"

Vaati clamped his hand firmly over Link's mouth and glanced back up the stairs. The guards at the castle entrance were staring down at them. Could they hear at this distance? Hyrule castle guards were pretty stupid, but were they really _that_ stupid?

Thankfully, none of them moved towards them at all. He met their gazes and suddenly, the one in the center winked at him. It was that same guard who had hit on him in the dress. They'd heard, he realized, but they weren't about to interfere with their plan.

"C'mon, this way." Vaati stood up and pulled Link behind one of the tall hedges. "Yeah," Vaati continued. "I could become invisible. But, remember, I can't _stay_ invisible! If my magic runs out..."

"I _have _to be let back in!" Link realized. "We left all your stuff in there! Your cloak, your dress..."

Vaati scowled. "It's just a disguise. I would prefer if you didn't call it 'my' dress."

"Well, whatever," Link replied. "Now, you go invisible, and I'll get us in."

Vaati was shocked at how easily the guards gave way. He stared at them, even though they couldn't see him, and stayed close behind Link. Link had wanted to keep a hold on his hand, but Vaati insisted that it would look strange to everyone else.

"Okay," Link whispered to him. "We're going to search down here first, then make our way upstairs to grab your things. Watch the Metal Element closely, in case it starts glowing brighter."

Vaati urged him to move quickly, and they started off, walking through the corridor. The castle residents never gave them a second glance. The sight of Link walking around holding the glowing silver object was becoming common to them. They walked through the same old boring passages for the third time, passing the Metal Element over them as they went.

"Nothing's happening..." Vaati sighed. "C'mon. Let's just go up and get my cloak and get out of here."

"It's got to be in here." Link gritted his teeth as they climbed the stone staircase to the second floor.

"Why?" Vaati whispered to him. "I could've been off in my calculations. It's happened before. We could've come all the way here for nothing."

"It's here!" Link burst out in protest. "I know your calculations were right! Now will you just be quiet?!"

A group of servants stopped to stare at him. Sure, they'd heard Link mumbling to himself sometimes...but now he was...yelling at himself and telling himself to be quiet?

"Excuse me," Link let out, pushing past them. Vaati had to swerve out of the way to prevent himself from bumping into anyone.

"Fine," Link growled lowly as they approached their former wing of the hallway. "I'll go get your stuff, but we're _not _leaving afterward. We're not leaving until we find that Element!"

Vaati frowned. "I'm going to pass out before then." Suddenly, something caught the corner of his eye and his head snapped back up again. "Hey, Link...!" But it was too late. Link had already disappeared into their former room to retrieve the abandoned clothing. Vaati waited uncomfortably in the hall for him to return.

"Okay." Link happily popped back out, his sack bulging even more with the addition of Vaati's cape and disguise. "Now we're going to search up here for a while."

Vaati couldn't help it and grabbed his wrist. "Step this way a little," he urged. Link had no choice but to follow into the middle of the hallway. He stared down at the Metal Element in his hand. Vaati's eyes lit up, though Link couldn't see them. "Yeah! Look! See?!"

Link gaped and suddenly felt like clobbering himself over the head for being so stupid.

"It's brighter..."

Indeed, the Metal Element was glowing white-hot as it hovered above his hand.

"Stupid! I didn't even _think_ to pull it out in our own hallway! It's been right under our noses this whole time!"

"But it wasn't in our room, right?" Vaati prodded. "You looked at it?"

"Yeah," Link affirmed. "It wasn't glowing like this. It's got to be somewhere in the vicinity."

Desperately, they ran to the side of the hall and passed it in front of every door against the east wall. Nothing. Now, for the west wall... Link stopped and stared down at the element with pure dread. It was glowing brighter than ever. Right in front of Zelda's door.

"It's in her room?!" Vaati couldn't help but cry out. "She had it all this time and didn't tell us?! How...how are we going to..."

"Shhh," Link warned. "And I have no idea. I don't think Zelda knew the Electricity Element was in her room. Sure, she acted terrible towards you, but she wouldn't hide something that was needed to save the world. She's not evil." Link paused for a while, trying to come up with a plan. "Can you kneel down and peek through the keyhole to see if she's still in there?"

"Why does it have to be me?"

"Because no one will see you peeking in! Now, c'mon!"

Vaati sighed, but kneeled down to peer in. "No," he announced. "At least I don't see her anywhere."

"Great!" Link whispered. "Now can you unlock the door?"

Vaati grumbled but produced another one of his all-purpose keys to unlock Zelda's door. They quickly stepped in, closing the door behind them. Vaati dropped his invisibility to give himself a rest. He needed to make sure he had enough magic to make it back out, anyway. The shine from the Metal Element was almost blinding.

"Where?!" Link desperately asked. "Where should we look?! I can't see!"

"Um...maybe in the toy box!" Vaati quickly suggested. They hastily rifled through it, but only came up with a few yellow stuffed duckies.

"Now the trunk!" Vaati decided. They searched through that too, and came up with nothing.

"Oh, geez!" Link exclaimed, pulling back and shielding his face under his arm. "I can't stand it anymore! It's like looking into the sun!"

Vaati set his face into a determined scowl. It had to be here! According to the Metal Element, it was right on this spot! He slammed his hands against the side of the trunk and finally pushed it away from its spot against the wall. His eyes widened. "Link, look!!!"

Link couldn't look. He tried to move the blinding Metal Element out of the way, but he still couldn't see around its halo of shine.

But Vaati saw, and that was all they needed. He bent down to the little niche in the wall and reached in. A moment later, the room was filling with two giant halos of light. "I've got it!!!" Vaati called over to Link. "It's the Electricity Element! I've got it!!!"

"C'mon, let's go!" Link stuffed the Metal Element back into his pack, and its light instantly went out. As soon as he could see again, he grabbed the Electricity Element from Vaati's hands and stuffed it in as well. That light was sure to attract a lot of attention. Fortunately, their light seemed to switch off when they were placed inside something.

Link seized Vaati's hand and dragged him forward through the doorway. Vaati barely had enough time to put his invisibility back up. "_Now_ we can get out of here!" Link triumphantly told him.

"Thank the Goddesses," Vaati sighed. "I don't think I would be able to stand it anymore." He was panting, as if demonstrating his point.

_I have to run_, Link realized. _So no one will wonder where that panting is coming from._ He promptly broke into a sprint, dragging Vaati along behind him. Vaati struggled to keep up, and his panting grew heavier and more frequent. Link tried to mask his noises by hanging his mouth open like a dog.

They sped by servants and banners and doorways almost as fast as if Link were wearing the Pegasus Boots. There was no time to stop and think at all--everything was just one long blur of red, blue, and gray, with bits of white here and there. Then, a pink splotch began to appear along with them.

Vaati had to bite down hard on his tongue to prevent an alarmed noise from bursting out of his mouth. Link had suddenly braked and zoomed back in the opposite direction, as if he'd smacked into a wall made of rubber. Once they were around the corner of the hallway again, Link dove behind a statue in a niche in the side of the wall, yanking Vaati in after him.

Vaati panted and fell exhaustedly against him. "Wh-what...was...that?"

"Shh..." Link squeezed his hand to convey his intentions, since he couldn't find his mouth to clamp his hand over it. "It's Zelda."

Vaati fell deathly silent, and even his panting ceased. For several minutes, neither of them moved an inch as they waited patiently for the storm to blow over them.

After a while, Link peeked surreptitously around the statue's edge. There was no Zelda in sight. He took a deep breath. _Was I even breathing at all just now?_ "We're all clear!" he happily announced as he turned back around behind the statue towards Vaati. "Okay--it's time to get out of here!" He moved to run out from behind the statue in the direction they had been traveling before, but he found an anchor dragging him back. "What? Vaati?! It's time to go!"

Vaati shook his head, though Link couldn't see. "I-I can't," he stuttered, letting his incessant panting out again. "Look."

Link's hand lifted, and to his shock, he saw a pale, disembodied hand holding tight to it. It cut off and dissolved into the atmosphere just below the wrist...but he knew the rest of the arm would join it shortly. Link's body began to tremble slightly. "You...your magic..."

"I'm trying to hold up the best that I can," Vaati panted out. "But my magic is running out, and I'm starting to appear again..."

"How much time have you got?" Link desperately asked. "Um...maybe about ten minutes," Vaati whispered to him. "But I'm going to keep appearing in bits and pieces. After nine minutes, I'll be pretty much completely visible."

"So, let's go!" Link cried. "We've got to make a run for it!!!" Before Vaati could make any other objections, he zoomed out from their hiding place, dragging him with him.

"But my hands...!" he panted out after him. "People are going to see...!"

"Not if I'm running by really fast!" Link told him. And sure enough, no one in the hallway seemed to notice the pair of floating hands trailing him. No one would have noticed if Link really had been haunted by a ghost.

Vaati's feet appeared next, which was much more of a problem. Thankfully, they had reached the first floor by then, and the front door was in view. Link and the pair of boots and floating hands made a break for it. Link only concentrated on the door...that wonderful, liberating glow of the outside...

"Ooof!" Something had stopped him. What, another wall? Link shook himself and looked back at his offender.

His eyes widened. Her mouth fell open. Vaati's legs appeared. Zelda.

"...RUN!!!" Link yelped. He ran for his life, the newly formed pair of red pants sprinting as hard as they could after him. They made it out the door, and in desperation, Link leaped down the flight of stairs, pulling Vaati into a roll with him when they reached the ground. Immediately, they scrambled to their feet and kept running.

From the stone castle doorway, Zelda followed them out with her eyes. By now, all the tears and animosity were gone from her face...this time it contained pure, innocent confusion. "...What was _that_?"

Neither of them had any idea where they were and where they were headed--they just had to keep running. Octoroks spit rocks after them, but they outran them all. No monster could damage them because they never had a chance to touch them. After a few more minutes, Link figured they were far enough away from the castle by now and they collapsed in a rocky area just behind some bushes.

Link took a deep, shaky breath and clutched Vaati tightly. He pulled the sorcerer up into a sitting position, since he was now too weak and limp to move himself. "Are...are you okay?" he asked as he tried to catch his breath.

His breath immediately came out of him again. "Heh...hah...hahahahaha!" Link couldn't help it. In front of him was Vaati's visible body--with no head.

The headless Vaati slumped forward a little and reached for his arms. Link let him grab onto them to steady himself. "I'm sorry..." he tried to apologize between his snickers. "You just look so ridiculous! Heheheh..."

Link's laughter ground to a halt when Vaati's head suddenly popped back onto his shoulders. He had one second to look up at him...before passing out in his lap.

(-)

When Vaati finally came to, he found himself behind a tall bush, Link patting down a pile of charred sticks in front of him. The sun was still shining, and he immediately wondered how long it had been. "Ugh...L-Link...? How long have I been out?"

"Since yesterday," Link casually answered as he continued to poke at the dead fire. "I was starting to get worried. Here, have some breakfast." He shoved a piece of toasted bread at him and he had no choice but to take it.

As he ate, Vaati looked up and surveyed their surroundings. The land was flat and littered with bushes here and there, but in the distance, the vegetation began to lessen and die out. The grassy ground transformed into craggy rock and gently rose up into cliffs. "Oh, great," he complained, after he'd swallowed. "Are we back at Mt. Crenel again?"

Link shook his head. "I figured it out using my map last night while you were unconscious. We went east from Hyrule Castle, so now we're at Veil Falls."

"Oh...yeah..." Vaati reached over and plunged his hand into Link's sack. He didn't even need permission--by now, it had come to be considered _theirs_. "There was something here...let me see..."

He meant to pull out Link's map, but he pulled out the Electricity Element instead. For some reason, it wasn't shining in resonation with the stored Metal Element. Maybe because it was now in their possession...? But whatever the reason, the blinding glow around it was gone, exposing the shape of the magical essence. It was a bright yellow, with one circle in the middle. Two lightning-bolt-shaped extensions floated on either side of the circle, pointing in opposite directions.

"Wow..." Vaati marveled. "I didn't get to see it up close before. It sure looks authentic."

Link's eyes narrowed, jokingly. "What? Did you expect it to be fake?"

Vaati chuckled and shoved the element back into the pack in exchange for the map. "I just can't seem to believe we've got two of the Secondary Elements. Though it sure took us long enough." He finally pulled the map out and spread it over the dirt in front of him. "Veil Falls..." He placed his finger over their current location. "Yeah...I remember now. The Light Element is supposedly up in the sky somewhere above here..." He frowned in complete puzzlement. "Though don't ask me how we're supposed to get up into the sky..."

"Easy!" Link replied. "We climb to the top of the cliffs. Important things are always at the tops of cliffs, according to the Law of the Universe."

"Ah, but last time, the Law of the Universe was wrong," Vaati reminded him, shaking the bag in his face. "The Electricity Element wasn't in a dungeon at all or guarded by a terrible beast."

"Eh..." Link idly answered. "We could argue that point."

Vaati smacked him over the head. "_Link_! Zelda's not a beast! Sure, she wasn't very nice to me, but to call her a beast..."

"It was just a joke," Link explained, taking off his hat to rub his head. "...Still, it was pretty mean. I take it back. Anyway, I _know_ that's where we need to go. There's a giant whirlwind at the top of these cliffs that can propel us up to the clouds. I'll bet the Light Element is somewhere in the Palace of Winds, too. That's where the Wind Element was...though light probably has nothing to do with wind..."

Vaati nodded in confirmation. "They're not related at all. But this Palace of Winds you're talking about seems like a good bet. I guess we should head there, at least for now."

"The Wind People will probably know where it is," Link offered. "They're very wise."

Vaati still had no idea what he was talking about. His eyes widened as he tried to picture what a "Wind Person" looked like. _A person made of wind...? Wouldn't they be blown apart? How would they hold themselves together?_

"So, let's get going!" Link cried. He leaped to his feet and held out his hand to help Vaati up. "We're not going to waste three weeks fooling around _this_ time."

Vaati stood up next to him and brushed himself off.

They turned towards the nearest cliff and looked up together towards the summit of the highest one. It seemed within their reach, but yet so far away... A great, tall waterfall and several succesive cliff faces stood between them and their destination. Well, they had to start somewhere if they ever hoped to reach that spot... Great. More mountain-climbing.


	7. The Truth

It's chapter seven! The longest yet! Well, that's because the plot is getting very thick. It'll be getting much, much thicker in the next two chapters as well...

The story of Vaati's origins here is much different from his origin story in Unknown...if I ever get around to writing that version. It kind of seems a bit far-fetched, but whatever. I've dropped a few little hints in previous chapters--let's see if you caught them!

I have no idea how to correctly pronounce Vaati's name, but I like "Vah-ti" the best. It could also be "Voh-ti" or "Vay-ti", but I think "Vah-ti" is cuter.

The "stupid fairies" part near the end is a reference to things that happened in the manga, so if you don't understand it, that's why. Basically, the Great Fairy, who has a very short lifespan, was about to die and turn into sparkles, but Vaati came in and, after the little dialogue with Link revealing his identity, he turned her into a moth. She wouldn't die as a moth, but she went crazy, destroying the Water Temple in the process. She was turned back to normal after Vaati was defeated, though she must have died shortly after.

Vaati, Link, Siroc, Haru, and all those people belong to Nintendo/the manga person. Yes, Siroc and Haru are those characters' actual names. Though Haru is the character's name in the manga. I think she's called Gale in the game. But I made up Soyo and Vikta! ...Too bad they're dead. Soyo's original name was going to be Breezia, but I thought that was just too boring and unoriginal.

No more updates until the end of school, unfortunately. I've got too much work!!!

(-)

Chapter 7: The Truth

The journey up the cliffs of Veil Falls was strangely more pleasant than their climb up Mt. Crenel. For once, it was much warmer. Link only made campfires to cook food, and their body heat was more than enough at night. Though they missed their big, soft bed, they could snuggle together under Link's blanket.

The flying, bomb-dropping plants were a big pain in the butt, but Vaati could usually dispatch them with a few projectile balls of magic energy. His magical capacity even seemed to be increasing alongside the improvement of his sword-fighting skills. He's mastered the jump attack by now and was attempting to learn the spin attack. He was always dizzy and disoriented after his training sessions. He didn't pass out as often anymore, either. He did have another attack, but it was minor and didn't scare him too much.

Once, when they camped out by one of the waterfall's streams, Link caught a few fish for dinner. He was cooking them over a newly-built campfire, when Vaati asked, "Do you have any berries left in your bag?"

"Uh, only a few," Link admitted. "But if you can wait a minute, the fish are almost done."

Vaati frowned sourly and reached for Link's bag to pull out the berries.

Link chuckled. "Couldn't wait, huh?" Then, he remembered that disgusted face he'd made, and it suddenly dawned on him. "Oh! Do you not eat fish either? I didn't know picori could talk to fish too."

"_Blurble_." Vaati nodded in confirmation.

Link sighed. "Fine, fine. Go eat the berries. I'm going to have to store all this extra fish... Don't complain when I stink like dead fish, okay?"

Vaati simply conjured a pin to pinch his nose closed in reply, and Link rolled his eyes.

(-)

On one particularly warm day, the two of them even decided to take a swim in the stream. Vaati wore only his rolled-up pair of pants, and he conjured up a pair of shorts for Link to change into.

Link found this situation rather unconfortable. This was the first time he'd be half-naked in front of Vaati, though Vaati had been half-naked in front of him at least thrice. At last, he came out from behind the bushes, picking uncomfortably at the ends of the deep green shorts. His body looked pretty good--smooth and lightly tanned with small muscular bulges. Yet he was still nervous to put it on display in front of Vaati. What if he didn't like how his body looked without clothes on? Would he shy away from him in this state?

On the other hand, Link thought Vaati looked wonderful. Though that scar on his chest still gave him the creeps, his body was much more pleasing to look at. No more ribcage--he was fleshier, though still very slender. His skin looked so smooth and sleek that Link wanted to run his hands over it...

No, stop that, brain. You can't do that... It would scare him... He took a deep breath and tried to hide his longing. Vaati was sitting on the grassy bank, dangling his feet in the water, his back turned to him. Maybe if he slowly snuck up...he could disguise it as a tickle. _Yeah! Vaati wouldn't mind if I tickled him! _Link lit up again with renewed hope. _That way, I'd at least get to touch him! _

He took a deep breath and tried to hide his longing. Vaati was sitting on the grassy bank, dangling his feet in the water, his back turned to him. Maybe if he slowly snuck up...he could disguise it as a tickle. Link lit up again with renewed hope. 

Mind made up, Link crept forward towards his unsuspecting partner, trying to make as little noise as possible. Vaati was humming and making little splashes in the water, obliviously. Link took a moment to aim himself...then eagerly pounced straight towards him. And of course, Vaati had to choose that moment to turn around to check on his progress.

"Aaaah!" he exclaimed.

Link only had a moment to brush his fingers against his chest and stomach before they both went toppling and splashing into the stream. Vaati's head popped up above the surface first. He spit water out of his mouth and burst into laughter. Link came next, chuckling with him. "Oops. Guess I overestimated my pounce."

"That must've looked ridiculous!" Vaati's laughter was slowly tapering off, but when he looked over at Link again, it renewed itself.

Link scowled. Great. It was just as he'd feared--he looked weird with his clothes off, didn't he? "What? What are you laughing at?"

Vaati's giggles immediately began to fade away. "Oh!" he realized. "I'm sor..." He caught himself just in time. "I mean, you really need to brush your hair! There's this big piece sticking up in the back and it just looks funny!"

Link scratched the back of his head in puzzlement. "Ah, that's always been there. I just don't like to brush my hair..."

"Nah, it's okay." Vaati swam around behind him to get a better look. "The messy look is good on you. It takes me two hours to do my hair without magic. It probably takes you five seconds to do yours."

Link laughed. "Try none at all."

"Boing!" Vaati flicked the big, flopping piece of hair on the back of his head and burst into giggles. "Boing! Boing! Boing!" He flicked it three more times with each successive "boing".

Link sighed and waited as he continued playing with his hair.

"Boing! Boing! Boing! Boingboingboingboing!"

"Are you ever going to stop that?"

"Nope. Boing!"

"You know...it's getting kind of annoying."

"I know. I used to do it to that big curl thing on the top of Ezlo's head all the time. It drove him nuts. Boing!"

"I feel bad for him..."

Vaati began to giggle again. "It's just so much fun! Boingboing! I...can't stop...boingboingboing!"

Finally, Link turned around and decided to fight back by splashing him.

"Ah!" Vaati put his arms up as the water spattered over him. He swam backwards a little to where he could stand up. "Oh, I see how it is. You wanna get rough with me, huh?" Though he tried to keep a low tone, a little mischievous smile was creeping across his face. "I'll show you what happens when you mess with me." He quickly lunged forward, pushing the water into an even bigger splash towards Link.

Link laughed just after the water hit him. "Oh, no you don't!" He used both hands to splash Vaati back.

Soon, they were engaged in a splashing battle, just the same as their former pillow wars. They reeled through the little stream in delight. Sometimes, the splashing would stop...until one of them made a surprise attack, and the laughing burst out again. And, just as with the pillow fight, it somehow transformed into a water-wrestling match. Vaati would pounce on Link, trying to topple him into the water, only to have Link grab his arms and throw him off again. Vaati always got tossed into the water, though sometimes, he'd succeed in holding Link's head down for a few seconds.

Once, he jumped onto Link's back, and Link simply leaned backwards, submerging him. Vaati coughed up some water and laughed after he'd pulled away.

"Okay..." Link decided then, hitting him on the back to force out any water that remained. "I think we'd better stop now."

"Aww...how come?" Vaati took a deep breath and stood up straight again. "I'm fine now. That was actually a lot of fun! I want to be dipped again!" He put a hand up in front of his mouth and shuddered as he held in another small cough. The water was all out by now, but his lungs wouldn't stop convulsing.

"I think you've had enough dipping," Link told him. "Besides, we need to get changed and dry off before night falls and it starts getting cold."

"Mmm," Vaati finally muttered in agreement.

And so, they changed back and found themselves a small cave in the side of the nearest cliff to take shelter in. Vaati lit another campfire and they dried off around it. Unfortunately, there weren't any more little streams like this one further up the cliff face. But secretly, Link hoped they'd get to swim together again sometime in the future.

(-)

In place of their former nightly pillow-fights, they would sometimes hold a few tickling battles. For a while the little cave echoed merrily with Link's gentle "ahahahah!" and Vaati's delighted "eheeheeheehee!". Then, under the blanket, they would hug and cuddle.

Link gently experimented and tried kissing Vaati's cheeks a few more times...and on the night of his attack, he kissed him on the forehead too. Vaati always smiled and blushed after being kissed, but he never made a motion to return the favor. Link still worried about it.

He probably thinks of me as his best friend. He likes me, but he doesn't like me in the same way that I like him... Link tried to hold in his sighing as he held Vaati's body against him. He'd notice and ask him what the matter was. _I don't want to lose him. If I tell him how I feel, and he doesn't feel the same way, he's going to feel uncomfortable being around me. I can't...I don't want that to happen. But...the way things are going... I have to tell him. It's not fair to keep this secret from him. For all I know, he's probably figured it out already... That's it. I've decided. I'm going to tell him. ...Just not right now. _

Link tried to hold in his sighing as he held Vaati's body against him. He'd notice and ask him what the matter was. 

And so, Link closed his eyes and took a deep, satisfied breath. He needed to enjoy this wonderful togethness as long as he still could. The warmth...the feel of Vaati's soft skin...and the comfort of his little arms around him. The warm kneading of his fingertips...

Kneading of his fingertips? Link opened his eyes again as he slowly became aware of it. Yes...that _was _what he was feeling. He hastily looked down at Vaati's head against his chest. His eyes were closed...and his hands were moving up and down, gently massaging his back.

"Aaahhhhh..." The breath slipped out of his mouth as soon as he realized it.

Though he didn't see the smile, he could feel it appear on Vaati's face. "Does that feel good?"

Link couldn't stop from smiling himself. "Oh, yeah. That feels so good..."

"Okay," Vaati replied. "I won't stop then." And so, he continued rubbing and massaging Link's back until his hands grew tired. He began to slip reluctantly out of his arms.

Link gave him a little pat on his own back and tucked the blanket over them as Vaati curled up and began to rest. Link couldn't resist giving him one last little kiss on the head. "Good night, my Vaati."

Vaati blushed a little and murmured a soft "good night" in reply.

Link smiled in satisfaction before lying down and settling in for the night himself. _Well..._he thought, a tiny glimmer of hope flitting across his heart. _Maybe on second thought..._

(-)

As the ventured father and farther up the Veil Falls cliffs, they began to notice the environment changing. There weren't any more big streams, since they'd already passed the waterfall's output, and the land was much more rocky and dry.

For a while, Link had a difficult time finding food, so Vaati had to provide for them during that time. He wasn't exactly a master magic-chef, so sometimes, they would get something other than what they wanted. Often, it was a simple mix-up of words. Instead of green beans, they got jumping beans. Instead of potato chips, they got potato salad. Vaati also repeatedly conjured cupcakes in place of pancakes and French fries instead of French toast. Link didn't usually mind and just ate whatever came out of the magical poof, but when Vaati accidentally made fish sticks instead of carrot sticks, they chose to skip lunch.

Once, they woke up and stepped outside their cave shelter, only to find themselves immersed in what looked like a cloud. "Gee..." Link said as he stretched up onto his toes and looked around. "This fog is really dense. We must be getting close to the summit now!"

Vaati warily stepped out beside him. "How are we going to see if something is coming to attack us?" he worried. "Those bomb-flower things could fly back up here, you know..."

Link sank back down. He hadn't thought of that. "Err...well, maybe if I lit up my lantern, it would help us to see better!" He slung his pack onto the ground and began to fish through it for his lantern while Vaati looked into the fog and tried to pierce through it as well. "Almost...got it..." Link's voice strained along with the muscles in his arm as he reached down for the item at the bottom of his bag.

Vaati's eyes narrowed as he concentrated. He felt like saying the same thing. Slowly, the fog was beginning to dissipate.

"Aha!" At last, Link yanked the lantern out of his bag and held it up. But by that time, the fog was entirely gone. "...What? What happened to the fog?"

Vaati smiled and looked back at him. "I got rid of it."

Link paused. The lantern dropped down by his side. "...You got rid of it?"

Vaati nodded. "Yup. It was pretty easy, actually, once I figured out how to move it."

Link stuffed the lantern back into his pack again. "That's great! You know, I probably don't need any of these items anymore, now that I have you. You can do a lot more than they ever could."

"Yeah, but they don't run out of magic and pass out," Vaati replied, with a frown.

Link shot back up again. "Ohmygosh! Are you going to pass out?!"

"No, no." Vaati chuckled and held a hand up. "I'm fine. Moving the fog away didn't use up much magic at all."

"Great!" Link picked up his bag again. "With abilities like those, I bet we can reach the top of the cliff by the end of the day!"

(-)

And they did. Just before sunset, Link and Vaati clambered up the last of the Veil Falls cliffs, panting with exhaustion. They'd just been attacked by a hoard of Chuchus with helments and Like Likes.

"Don't pick up any rupees you find on the trail," Link had warned Vaati earlier. "They might be the baiting tentacle of a Like Like."

Vaati took this advice too much to heart, and was then afraid of every rupee he came across. Link liked to taunt him by waving rupees in his face. Vaati just retaliated by pecking him with Filbert Jr.

When they finally arrived, they took a few moments to catch their breath before continuing forward. "Whoa," Vaati spoke up in awe. "It's a giant tornado."

"Yup," Link answered, breaking into a satisfied smile. "That's right. We're here!"

Vaati looked up, nervously. "Really? This is what we came here for?"

"Of course," Link replied. "This is the portal that will lead us up to the clouds and the village of the Wind People. ...Though I'm not exactly sure how we're going to ride it up. I used parachute-Ezlo before. Can you use your magic?"

Vaati stared at it for a while. He fixated his eyes on its center. Yes...it could be done. His mind was lost inside the swirling center of the vortex. After awhile, he could almost make out the patterns in the air where it twisted and streamed into other pockets of air. He could feel the rhythmic swirls and beatings of the essence...

"Vaati!!!" Suddenly, he became aware of Link yelling into his face.

"Ah!" he cried, losing concentration. "What do you want?!"

"Are you okay?!" Link cried. "You looked like you were having another attack!"

Vaati blinked. "No," he realized. "I wasn't. I guess I was...just in some sort of trance."

"Oh." Link's panicked expression dropped, and his demeanor did as well. "Sorry about that. Were you trying to do magic?"

Vaati threw his hands up in a shrug. "I have absolutely no idea what I was trying to do. But I _can_ get us up there. Just give me a minute."

Link stepped back and let Vaati draw softly closer to the tornado. He held out his hands, palms facing the edges of the twirling wind. For a while, nothing happened. Then, Vaati began to move his palms slowly together. Link watched in awe as the tornado began to move with them. Its top narrowed...and joined together into one long, twisting column of wind, reaching up to the heavens.

Well, yeah... Link realized as his eyes lingered on the spectacle. _Vaati is called a wind mage, right? He specializes in controlling the wind._

Link realized as his eyes lingered on the spectacle. 

"There we go." Vaati turned around and smiled at him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Now it's safe. The whirlwind will send us straight up through the clouds." He paused a moment to frown in puzzlement. "Though I have no idea how we're supposed to _walk _on them..."

"You'll see." Link smiled back. "It's really very easy. Now--up we go!" He easily stepped forward, pulling Vaati with him. Strangely enough, Vaati wasn't afraid or even reluctant. He knew what was going to happen, and he was perfectly sure that nothing would go wrong.

As soon as the two stepped inside the vortex, they began to lift off the ground. Gently, they flew upwards in the center of the wind tunnel. Higher...and higher... Vaati looked back down towards the tops of the little trees and smiled.

I thought he was afraid of heights, Link marveled.

Soon, they'd reached the same level as the clouds. In another moment, they were above them. Link forced his body forward and jumped with all his might. They broke out of the wind tunnel and landed in a puff of white cotton on the clouds around them. "Ta-da!" Link exclaimed, standing up on the cloud and spreading his arms out. "Walking on the clouds!"

"Whoa..." Vaati, still on his knees, reached down to feel the cloud underneath him. "It's solid..."

"Uh-huh," Link explained. "Just don't let your mind wander, or you'll fall through. That almost happened to me the first time."

Vaati carefully stood up, staring down at the clouds the whole time. He took a few cautious steps, just to make sure. Once he was satisfied that he wouldn't fall through the cloud floor, he walked over to Link's side. "So...now what?"

"We need to find the Palace of Winds," Link decided. "That way, we can search it for the Light Element and ask the Wind People where else it might be if it's not there."

"Oh, right," Vaati recalled. "The Wind People." He squinted and looked around, trying to find them. Of course, he didn't know what he was looking for, so there was no way he could find it.

Fortunately, there weren't many enemies up above the clouds except for a few cloud sharks, which Link easily dispatched as soon as they poked their heads up. They began to move closer and closer towards something that appeared to be a building in the distance. Little multicolored pinwheels poked above the clouds, turning gently in the breeze. Vaati glanced over to enjoy them as they passed by.

"Those are their substitutes for flowers," Link explained. "Aren't they cute?"

Vaati kneeled down to gaze at them, and his eyes took on a faraway glaze.

"Hey!" Link warned, jumping urgently next to him. "Don't space out like that! You're going to fall!"

But Vaati didn't fall. He just reached out, plucked one of the pinwheels from its bed, and stood back up. Link stared at him as he idly tapped the pinwheel's rotors to make them spin faster. Though he joined him again, and they continued forward, he wouldn't stop playing with the little blue-and-pink toy.

"I wonder if they just grow naturally up here," he said, with a little giggle.

"Probably not," Link advised. "So you should probably go put that one back."

But Vaati just tapped the pinwheel again, seeming not to have heard him. Again, Link wondered why Vaati wasn't falling through the clouds--he was certainly spacing out enough. He, on the other hand, had to keep his mind focused on their goal at all times. _The Wind Palace. We're going to the Wind Palace. We've got to get to the Wind Palace._

Finally, they came across another portal tornado, which would lead them higher up to the Palace's perch. Vaati once again had to narrow and concentrate it to make it safe to ride, but he felt fine. "Controlling the wind only uses up a tiny bit of my magic, remember?" Vaati reminded a concerned Link as they were rising up the wind tunnel. "I'd have to do this about fifty times before it made me feel tired."

Link had to force himself not to worry. _We're almost there. Everything's fine. Nothing's going to happen_. It was a bit difficult to get used to.

Once again, they stepped out of the vortex and onto a new cloud cover. "There's the palace!" Link excitedly cried, pointing up at the tall stone buliding in front of them.

Vaati followed his finger up and couldn't help but gape. There really was a civilization up here! There was an entire palace floating above the earth! How did it get up here?! How was it _staying_ up here?! This was pure impossibility! _It's got to be magic_, Vaati realized. Being a creature of magic himself, he could feel the essence of magic flowing from around the palace. _These Wind People must be a magical race! But how can that be possible? Ezlo always told me that magic was a rare gift today, and not many creatures--human and picori--could use it anymore. But here's a whole civilization filled with magical people! Ezlo... Ah, he was probably just trying to make me feel special for being able to do magic. _

His thoughts were interrupted by an abrupt cough from Link. "We're almost...there..." he whispered. Indeed, the palace was looming closer and closer, though they still had a bit more of the cloud field to walk though. Link broke into coughs again. "Watch out...for the...the sharks..."

Vaati turned towards him, and his eyebrows raised a little. "Hey, Link? Are you okay? You're coughing a lot."

"I don't know..." Link's voice was soft and fading away. "I'm having...a hard...time...breathing..."

Vaati grabbed his arm to give him something to lean on. This didn't look good. They were still a while away from the palace, and Link's breath was steadily deteriorating. Vaati's heart began to beat a bit faster. "What's wrong? Are you choking? Are you tired? Why can't you breathe?"

Link turned around and shook his head at him, but was unable to make a reply. Something wasn't right about his face... He turned around again and gave off a horrible, sharp wheezing noise.

"Link!!!" Vaati was shaking with fright. He grabbed his body tightly and forced him back around to face him. "Link, what's wrong?!" Now, he knew what looked odd about his face. It was steadily turning blue. Vaati almost began to cry with worry. "Ohmygoddess--_Link_!!!"

What am I supposed to do?! I have to get Link to breathe! But for some reason, it doesn't look like he's able to breathe in anymore. It's like he's underwater. I'll just have to force the breath into him then! I have to give him the Heimlich maneuver! No, CPR! I have to give him CPR! ...I don't know CPR!!! In a frantic state of desperation, Vaati shoved his hand against Link's chest and pressed his mouth to his. _Maybe if I just blow into his mouth...!!! I'll use magic to help it along..._

In a frantic state of desperation, Vaati shoved his hand against Link's chest and pressed his mouth to his. 

But before he even had a chance to begin, Link's body grew limp underneath him. He grew heavier and heavier, until Vaati was forced to pull away from him and slip down towards the cloud-cover ground with his body.

"L-Link..." Vaati kneeled on the cloud, holding Link's head up and feeling his body. It was so stiff and heavy. "Oh no...no, Link... LINK!!!"

He desperately grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse. The rhythm gently poked at his fingertips. _Oh, thank the Goddesses! For a moment, I though he was dead! I guess he just passed out..._

Vaati slipped his hands underneath Link's arms and tried to pull him upwards. _But he's still in terrible trouble! I've got to get him somewhere where he can breathe right and recover! But...I don't think I can carry him all the way to that Palace. _Vaati pulled with all his strength and only succeeded in propping Link into a sit. _That is, if I can even lift him in the first place. Oh, Link...I'm just too much of a weakling. I'm sorry..._ He grabbed Link's body around the chest again and pulled him close.

Then, it dawned on him. _Oh! Stupid!!! I could just make him levitate! Why didn't I think of that before?! _He immediately pulled away to begin his levitation incantation...but when he did, he noticed some type of presence surrounding him.

The air around him was shimmering...and forming into creatures. Vaati could only stare in awe as people materialized around him, standing on the clouds. They all wore red-and-blue robes with veils, and strangely enough, they all had some shade of red hair.

For a second, Vaati forgot about levitating Link's body. He blinked and marveled at the strange men and women around him. Slowly, he was beginning to realize it. "Are you...the Wind People?"

The Wind People didn't reply at first. They only stared back at him in similar awe and confusion. Finally, one woman with a little bun on the top of her head spoke up. "It's Vaati..."

Vaati froze. His eyes stretched wide open. _No! They know...!!!_

A deadly silence passed between them. None of them made any kind of motion to speak. Vaati stared up at the Wind People, and the Wind People stared down at Vaati. Vaati was beginning to tremble again.

At last, in a surge of desperation, he clamped his arms around Link's body and pulled him close into his chest. "I...I don't care what you do to me!!! Just please--he needs help right now!!!"

The Wind People made no reply, but the lady with the little bun smiled. "Yes, yes. I see." She turned towards a few men on the opposite side of the circle with orange beards and turbans. "Take the boy into the guest chamber and have the air thickened."

The two men nodded solemnly and stepped towards them. Reluctantly, Vaati finally let go of Link's body to allow them to lift it. One grabbed him by the shoulders and the other grabbed him by the ankles. They began to obediently march off towards the palace.

"Come with us," the lady with the bun told him, but Vaati needed no encouragement. He had no idea what these people were planning on doing with him, but there was no way he was leaving Link.

They traveled towards the palace in a sort of caravan, the men carrying Link at the head, and the older women bringing up the end. The lady with the bun, who seemed to be their leader, pulled Vaati to her side and kept him there, as if to prevent him from running away.

You don't have to worry, he felt like telling her. _I'm not going anywhere_.

, he felt like telling her. . 

The four-story stone palace towered over them, little pinwheels lining its outer walls. Again struck with guilt, Vaati reached into his pocket and pulled out the pinwheel he'd plucked earlier. He quickly ducked down and placed it among the palace garden. The Wind Lady noticed, though she didn't frown or make any other sort of response to the action.

The men carried Link insisde, and the rest of the caravan followed. They wound through stone corridors lined with decorative jars and little carved stones on display stands. At last, the men brought Link into a room and laid him gently on a bed. The lady with the bun shooed the other curious people away and closed the door behind her and Vaati.

"Poor boy," she finally spoke. "This is the second time this has happened to him." She lifted her arms and her cloak began to gently flutter at the ends.

Vaati stared gravely into her figure. She was doing magic--he was sure of it. But what was she doing? He could feel the essence of magic filling the room, but he couldn't really tell when was happening as a result of it.

The lady's cloak settled back down around her. "There," she satisfyingly stated. "I"ve adjusted the air for him. The air above the clouds here is too thin for a ground-dwelling human like him to breathe. This is the second time he's passed out from it."

Vaati blinked, confusedly. "But...I'm a human too. At least right now, I am. How come I could still breathe fine?"

The lady stared right back at him. "I'm not exactly sure," she admitted. "It may have been because of your magical essence. Your magic automatically adjusted the air for you and allowed you to breathe. Not many people outside of our tribe are able to use magic anymore."

Vaati nodded, hesitantly. "Yeah. I've been told."

The lady glanced back towards the unconscious Link and the two men who stood on either side of the bed. Then, her gaze fell back down on Vaati. "You'll have to excuse me for a few moments while I inform our leader of your arrival. You..." She turned, this time, to the two men standing at attention. "Make sure he doesn't leave this room."

Vaati looked nervously up at the guards.

They scowled down at him.

"I'll be back later." The lady swiftly opened the door and glided back out, instantly closing it behind her.

For a moment, Vaati could only stare at the wooden planks that made up the door. _So she's going to tell the king or chief or whoever rules them. They're probably deciding what to do about me right now. ...They'll probably decide to imprison me. I don't think they'll kill me. At least I _hope_ they don't kill me..._ Vaati suddenly thought back to two months ago when he'd wanted so much to die and be rid of everything. Now, he couldn't believe that he'd wished for that. He now had something to live for.

Slowly, he bent down next to Link's bed and looked despondently up at him. It was too bad he was still unconscious and wouldn't wake up for another half-hour or so. Gently, he reached out and rustled Link's blond mop of hair. His hat had fallen off while the guards had been carrying him here. It laid beside him on the bed, and Vaati half-expected it to sprout a beak and a topknot and start snoring. He smiled, somewhat sadly, and turned back to look into Link's face. "I may not see you again for a long time," he whispered to him, although he couldn't hear. "But when you wake up, make sure you get the Light Element and the Darkness Element and don't worry about me."

His smile widened a little. Though Link couldn't speak, he could imagine what his reply to that would be. _"What are you thinking?! Of _course_ I'm going to worry about you! And there's really no use in me going after the other elements by myself, because I'd be so worried about you that I'd never find them!" _

Vaati chuckled a little to himself. "Just...take care of yourself. Don't do anything that could get you in trouble, okay? I'd hate to see something happen to you for my sake."

"I'd rather it happened trying to defend you."

Vaati just couldn't win. He sighed, gently, and gave Link's head another pat. "I just...I hope I _do _get to see you again. Going on this journey with you...was the best time of my life."

The two Wind Men glanced over at each other. They had to honor their duty, but... Just the way Vaati caressed Link and whispered to him...so tender and loving. Sure, they'd heard about the evil deeds he'd performed, but now, he didn't seem threatening at all. He seemed like a completely different person.

So there they stayed for another fifteen minutes. One of the men eventually pulled up a chair at the side of Link's bed, so Vaati wouldn't have to kneel on the floor. He generously thanked them for being so considerate, and again, they had to wonder if this indeed was the same person they'd heard about.

At last, the inevitable _clack_ of the door handle finally sounded, and Vaati's heart leapt into his throat. This was it. It might be the end of his life. The end of the world.

The same lady with the little bun slipped back into the room. She was quite surprised to find Vaati sitting at Link's bedside, and for a split-second, she almost smiled. "Come with me." She motioned to him. "Madam wishes to see you now."

Vaati rose from his chair and made his way towards the door, though his head swam with confusion. _Madam wishes to see me? Madam? Their ruler is a woman? A queen? And she just "wishes to see me"? _He tried not to get his hopes up, but that statement automatically sent a little flitter of relief through him. His eyes lingered back on Link's still unconscious body as the lady led him into the hallway. He wished he could stand there and stare at it forever, but he knew it would disappear soon. So he burned that image into his mind just before the door closed on the room altogether.

The Wind lady led Vaati up two more sets of stairs to the fourth floor. Of course, the ruler of the palace had to live on the highest floor of the palace. They stopped outside a simple stone door, and the lady opened it. They stepped in, a long, plush red carpet rolling out below their feet. It led to a stone chair backed by an elaborate design in the wall. Though, strangely enough, the owner of the chair wasn't sitting in it.

She was a short, squat old lady wearing the traditional red-and-blue robes and large hoop earrings of Wind women. A tall tower of whitening hair stood on the top of her head, and her nose was unusually large. In her right hand was a tall staff which curled around at the top. For this reason, she slightly resembled someone else familiar to him.

She reminds me of Ezlo... Vaati realized. _Though that doesn't mean anything. She could be nothing like him at all._

Vaati realized. 

His escort stopped once they had reached the halfway point and gave a quick curtsy. "I've brought him, as you asked, ma'am."

"Thank you." The old woman's voice was low, though lined with warmth. "I'd like to speak with him in private for now."

The lady nodded and hurried out of the room.

And so Vaati was left alone with this strange person. _She's small and old, so she shouldn't be a threat_, Vaati told himself. _But she probably can use very powerful magic..._

"Er...uh..." he uneasily stammered and clumsily bent down on one knee in a bow. "Th-thank you, your majesty."

The woman chuckled. "No need to call me that. I'm not royalty. Just a wise old woman trying to help her people. Now, get up."

Vaati shakily rose to his feet again. _Oh! Did I just offend her?!_

"I know all about you, but you don't know anything about me, do you? Well, my name is Siroc, the Elder of the Wind People. I have been awaiting this day for years..."

Vaati discreetly rose an eyebrow at her. Then, he realized what she meant by knowing all about him. "I...I-I'm so very sorry!!! Actually, I never truly intended to cause any harm to your people, and..."

"...And there was no harm done," Siroc interrupted. "Your travelling companion, as you well know, brought the wind back to our civilization by recovering the Wind Element. Yes, we know about what you have done...we see and hear almost everything that goes on from way up here. But that wasn't what I was referring to."

Poor Vaati was even more confused now.

"Vaati..." Siroc spoke again, in an almost distant voice. "Come closer." She held out her left hand, invitingly. "I want to see you up close. I've never gotten a chance to get a good look at you."

Completely puzzled, Vaati forced himself to take a tentative step forward. _Just what's going on here?! Is she trying to trick me somehow? I...I don't know..._

The Wind elder only smiled when she noticed his hesitation. "Don't be afraid, child," she gently called to him. "We of the Wind Tribe do not hold grudges. Or at least I don't. I don't ever intend to harm you."

Vaati still wasn't completely sure if he should trust her, but he had no choice. He gently made his way up the red carpet to the simple throne. When he reached the old woman's side, he realized that he was actually quite taller than her. She set her staff down against the chair behind her and reached up to feel his arms.

Vaati nervously glanced down at her as she appraised him. _What's all this for anyway? She's acting like I'm a racehorse or something. _

At last, the woman's wrinkled old hands slipped down to grip Vaati's wrists. She held his arms out and looked him all over again, lingering fondly on his face. "Ah...yes..." she finally said, a big, warm smile spreading across her wrinkled face. "You look just like her."

"Wh-who?" Vaati couldn't help asking back. "Why...? I don't look like anyone else on the planet. Who do you think I look like?"

Siroc's smile wouldn't fade as she stared, gleefully up into his eyes. Her own small, brown eyes were twinkling. "Your mother."

(-)

Link suddenly awoke to find himself in a strange bed with two men of the Wind People standing on either side of it. _What happened? _he wondered. _I was having a hard time breathing. Did they take me here and heal me? I don't remember seeing the Wind People at all. The last thing I remember is..._

Link's eyes widened and his cheeks ignited. _Vaati's lips... He was..._kissing_ me?!?!_ He sat straight up in bed and looked frantically around the room. The guards stepped back in surprise. Vaati was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Vaati?" Link asked them--his first words after waking up.

The men looked at each othe in surprise. "Er..." the one on the right said.

"Um..." the left one echoed.

"Where is he?!" Link snapped at them. "I swear, if you've done anything to him..."

"H-Haru took him up to the fourth floor," the left guard finally relented.

"Yeah. She said Madam wanted to meet with him."

Link grabbed his hat on the bed, beside him, and immediately hopped out. The two guards tried to convince him to stay in bed a little longer, but he refused to listen. "I'm going to find Vaati this time, before anything has a chance to happen to him," he insisted. "I'm not going to let him get hurt again!"

And before the Wind men has a chance to say anything more, he was flying out the door.

(-)

Vaati was completely stunned and speechless. All his life, he'd never heard anything about his parents. From Ezlo's fleeting mentions, he had reason to believe that they had died, but he'd never given him any details. For someone to say something about his mother...and a complete stranger that he'd never even seen before... "You...you knew my mother?"

The old wise-woman nodded. She at last released his wrists, but continued to smile up into his eyes. He remained silent and waited for her to continue, but she didn't seem to be willing.

He burst out again, letting out the thousand questions whirling through his mind. "You know about the picori? How do you know the picori? What was her name? What was she like? Did she have eyes and hair like me? What about my father? Did you know him too? Did _he_ look like me too? _Why_?!"

Siroc laughed and held out her hands. "Hold on, hold on. One at a time, child!"

Vaati finally shut his mouth to let the woman talk.

"We of the Wind Tribe are actually quite connected to the Picori race. We are, after all, the two most magical species in Hyrule. We are able to see the picori even in our adulthood, because we are always open to the magic around us. Hylians tend to lose their ability to see the picori once they become adults because they are no longer able to truly believe and see the magic that surrounds them. It's really a pity... But anyway..."

She shook herself to get back onto the right track. "We _can _see the picori, but rarely have contact with them since we hardly ever go down to the surface anymore. But that's not how I know your mother. She wasn't a picori. She was one of us."

Vaati's eye widened again. _What the...?! Then...how come _I'm _a picori? Was my father a picori? How is that possible? ...Never mind--I don't want to think about it._

"Her name was Soyo," Siroc continued, giving him a gentle smile again. "And she was our most brilliant researcher of picori life and magic. You see, in that time, we knew about the picori, but did not know everything about them. Many of us devoted ourselves to studying the picori and the magical power that surrounded them...but none did more for the advancement of this research than your mother."

Siroc turned and sat back in her chair. "I suggest you take a seat, child. This is going to be a long story."

Vaati didn't want to leave to find himself a chair, so he just sat down on the rug right where he was and crossed his legs, staring up at this mysterious, wise woman the whole time.

Siroc cleared the throat a little, then took a deep breath to continue. "Soyo not only researched the picori people--she had a real caring and fondness for them. She never treated them like objects under observation or test subjects, like some of the other researchers, unfortunately, did. Eventually, she was able to gather enough information to perform her greatest experiment. Using all the magic at her disposal, she succeeded in breaking through the barrier to the picori world, and transformed herself into a picori."

Vaati marveled and wondered how in the world she could have done that. It was hard enough for him to go through entrances, and that was with the allowing essence that Ezlo had bottled. How could you make it through without that magic?

"She decided to live two years among the picori and report back on her experiences. But the problem was, she had a wonderful time. For a while, she never wanted to come back to our world. And she fell in love."

Vaati's breath caught. It was coming now...

"...With a picori man named Vikta." Siroc nodded down to him, confirming his thoughts. "Your father."

Another mystery solved.

"Now, although we were interested in studying picori life, our rules at that time forbid any of us to get involved personally with a picori. Soyo knew about this...but she couldn't help falling in love with Vikta. She didn't want to return to our world, but when the two years were up, she forced herself to. She came back to the palace to give us her report, though she carefully omitted every mention of Vikta, and begged the council to give her another two years of research. At that time, I was not yet the leader of this tribe. We were ruled by a council of men who dictated everything. Thankfully, they were very pleased with her research, and they granted her the next two years to further the study. Of course, Soyo was overjoyed, and on the very same day she returned to the picori world, she and Vikta were married."

Vaati shifted uneasily. He had an idea of what might be coming next, and he was beginning to dread it.

"They lived happily during the course of those two years, and as they were beginning to come to a close, Soyo gave birth to you. She dreaded the day when she would have to return again at the end of the year and give her report. They were most likely not going to grant her another period of research, as it took a tremendous amount of magic to send her to the picori world in the first place, and the number of researchers willing to provide that magic had significantly dropped. Plus, all this time, she'd just been with Vikta, and then pregnant with you. She had to omit all of these things, and her report was a very measly, dull thing without any new discoveries. She feared she would never get to see her family again, and was terrified to face the council again. This time, Vikta would not stand aside and watch his wife go through this suffering by herself. As much as Soyo tried to convince him that coming with her would only complicate matters, he wouldn't relent. And so, that time, when she returned, she had you and your father concealed in her robes. The council members were suspicious as to why nothing seemed to have happened during her report, and so..."

Vaati drew in his breath, sharply.

"...they searched her. And they found you and your father. You were only a tiny baby, of course--barely three months old. It was inexcusable just to have become intimately involved with someone of the picori race--but to have a picori husband and child was utterly abominable. The council members flew into a rage."

Vaati closed his eyes, wishing he could stop the story right there. He knew what happened now.

"And so..." Siroc solemnly continued. "They decided to execute her and Vikta."

Vaati could almost hear his mother's screams of anguish. He began to tremble. Now, he was the one unable to breathe.

Siroc allowed him a few moments to calm himself and let this information settle. "They wanted to execute you, too," she gently spoke up again, once Vaati opened his eyes. "But just as they were going to step on you, I broke in and stopped them. 'The child can't help having been born, can it?' I told them. 'And you've already done it enough damage by killing its parents.' They tried to warn me that leaving you alive would only cause trouble for us all in the future, but I wouldn't listen to them."

Vaati couldn't help it and looked away from her again.

"So I explained the situation to the picori sage, Ezlo, and sent you to him as a possible apprentice. I could sense your propensity for magic from simply touching you. I was a little concerned at first, but as I saw later, Ezlo loved you just as any father would and raised you as if you were his own."

Vaati still looked at the ground, ashamed.

"After your parents were killed, we began to realize what tyranny the council was putting us through, and we eventually overthrew them, banishing them to the surface. It was later reported that they all killed themselves shortly afterwards. And the people elected me as their new leader. But then, last year..."

Vaati buried himself in his hair, and Siroc's expression grew unusually grim.

"...I began to think they might have been right all along. That was nonsense."

Vaati slowly began to lift his head again.

"The rest of my people do not know your story. I was positive that you weren't the true cause of the evil that covered the land. And it looks like I was right."

The old woman smiled, but tears began to run down Vaati's face. "I-It was!" he objected. "It _was_ my fault! I _did_ cause all that evil...but I'm really, really sorry now. I...I'm eternally grateful to you. I wouldn't be alive if it hadn't been for you. And...and it might indeed have been a mistake, but I'm so grateful to you for it!" Vaati couldn't stop crying, and he didn't understand why. It was more of a sudden emotional release than from actual sorrow.

"Well, thank you." Siroc stood up again and began to make her way towards him. "And I'm positive now that it wasn't a mistake." She stopped right in front of him and looked down to address him. "Now, rise. You are now welcome among us."

But before Vaati could comply, a sudden burst of noise interrupted him.

"_Vaati_!!!"

He turned around to see Link tearing down the carpet towards him. Link noticed his streaks of tears and ran even faster. He slid to the ground, nearly tackling the surprised boy. "Vaati, what happened?! What's wrong?!" He gripped him so tightly around the neck that he could barely breathe.

"Link..." Vaati croaked out in amazement. "You woke up..."

Link turned to glare accusingly up at Siroc. "What have you done to him?!"

"Nothing," the wise woman answered, truthfully. "Just finally told him the story he's been waiting all his life to hear."

(-)

"...And that's probably why I can control the wind so easily and why I could breathe perfectly fine up here," Vaati was saying. "I'm half Wind Person."

He and Link were sitting at a wooden table in another room, side by side. Link couldn't believe it...but it all seemed perfectly plausible. He remembered when he'd mentioned the Wind People at Ezlo's house, and Ezlo had abruptly cut him off. He didn't want Vaati to know.

"But it's not fair," Vaati continued, as if reading his thoughts. "How come Ezlo never told me about this? How come he never wanted me to know? I asked him lots of times about my parents, but he would only tell me that they had died and he never knew who they were. But he knew! He knew the whole time!"

Link gently reached out and rested a hand on Vaati's shoulder as he lowered his head to the table, to try to give him some comfort. "I think he knew you would find out on your own. He probably knew you'd find out if you went on this journey with me, and that's partly why he didn't want you to go."

"It's not fair," Vaati mumbled again, his head buried in his arms and underneath his hair.

Link rubbed his back. "You're lucky," he absently thought aloud. "At least now, you know who your parents were and what happened to them. ...I still don't know anything about my parents."

Vaati sat up again and looked at him in interest. "Oh, yeah. Your parents are dead too, right? What happened?"

"I have no idea," Link related. "Smith has told me that my father was a knight in the Hyrule army. Not one of those dumb guards, but a _knight_. But he has no idea who my mother was. Apparently, they left me with him while they were going off on a trip abroad, and then, they just...never came back."

Vaati looked back down and fell to moping again. "Siroc said that the lab where my mother worked in still intact, and some of her reports and her diary are still there."

Link pulled back a little and stared at him in concern.

"I'm going to go look around it tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?"

Link shivered a little. It was happening again. Vaati had troubles that he couldn't possibly fully understand and help him with. He was in his own separate world, and Link couldn't find a way to reach him. Once again, he felt afraid. Afraid that he wouldn't be able to help him. "Uh...well..." he finally managed to speak up. "Do you _want me _to come with you? I mean, this is your own personal mission, and..."

"Yeah." Vaati finally looked up and smiled at him again. "I'd like you to come, if you don't mind. It would make it easier. And don't say it's too personal for you to get involved. You're..." He began to flush a little bit and averted his eyes. "You're a big part of my life now."

Link's heart sped up, and he began to blush as well. _Does that mean...?! I...think he's telling me... No. I can't get my hopes up. But before I passed out...?!_

"S-Say," he awkwardly spoke up. "I never got to ask you. What happened before I passed out? I can't seem to recall it clearly."

"Oh." Vaati's blush grew deeper, probably realizing what he had done for the first time. "Well, you were getting weaker and I had to help you stand up. Then, I panicked and tried to give you CPR, but I don't know how to do it correctly. And then you passed out completely."

Oh, Link thought, slightly disappointed. _CPR. _

, Link thought, slightly disappointed. 

"Okay," Vaati forced himself to calm down and his cheeks returned to their normal pallor. "We'll go together tomorrow afternoon. I'm actually looking forward to it now!"

(-)

The Wind People treated them very well after they had received their leader's message about Vaati. As opposed to the shocked and defensive reception of the mountain picori, they were amazingly delighted to learn that he was one of them. Much to his dismay, they constantly endeavored to teach him more of their wind-controlling magic and even to dress him in their customary robes.

Once, Link had the luck or misfortune to walk in on one of these sessions, to find Vaati surrounded by Wind Ladies, partially undressed, and wearing both a turban and giant hoop earrings.

"It's not what it looks like!!!" Vaati had yelped, his face so red, it looked like it might explode.

The Wind People doted on him so much that sometimes, he just wanted them to leave him alone.

On that first night after the revelation, the same young Wind lady who had ordered Vaati around before came back to their side and curtsied to them. "Please excuse my earlier transgressions," she begged. "My name is Haru, and I am Madam Siroc's administrator and guardian. We've prepared a pair of rooms for you in which to spend the night comfortably. If you'd just follow me..."

"Oh, you didn't need to do that," Vaati told her, giving Link a surreptitious glance. "Don't waste the space in your palace by giving us separate rooms. We can make due just fine with one."

Haru smiled, generously. "And there's no need of _that_ either. Why should the two of you be cramped into one room together when you could each have your own? I assure you, it's not causing us any problems--we haven't moved anyone else out of a room in order to accommodate you..."

"Well, actually..." Link was afriad to push the issue too far and reveal his secret desire, but he had to object somehow. "...We're more comfortable being in the same room together. We've been on this long journey together, and we've gotten used to going to bed near each other."

Haru's expression was a little puzzled, and she turned towadrs Vaati with a questioned gaze.

Vaati only nodded fervently in agreement.

"Well, okay," she finally assented. "Whichever will be more comfortable for you."

Link and Vaati were delighted to have another bed to pounce around on and drifted off to sleep while cuddling under the covers again. "You know..." Link whispered over to Vaati as he lied next to him, stroking his cheek and tucking his hair behind his ear. "What you said today...about allowing me to share in your personal life...it made me very, very happy."

Vaati closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. "Well...after we're finished saving the world...let's go off on a journey to find out who _your_ parents were."

(-)

The laboratory was terribly depressing. It had one of those solid rock-like presences tha made reality all too clear. A heavy atmosphere hung over the entire long room, though not so heavily as to crush its occupants completely. The floor and walls were a solid, tough grey, though the stools and examination benches were brown and black. Link tentatively ran his hand down the smooth, cold surface of the bench-tops. It gave him the chills.

At least the surroundings hadn't affected Vaati yet, since he was too busy searching for his mother's papers. There were stacks of papers and books on either side of the benches and he was sitting on one of those stools, sifting through them.

Link stopped in front of another book pile and decided to help him. He lifted the cover of the first book and turned a few pages to see if it was Soyo's diary. As soon as he gazed upon tha page, he immediately slammed it shut. His face was as red as a tomato and his eyes were as round as saucers. He slowly glanced over at the book's spine with trepidation to read the title. The New Study of Picori Anatomy. _I've been scarred for life..._

The noise attracted Vaati's attention, and he poked his purple head up among the flapping leaves of yellowed paper. "What's wrong?!" he asked in alarm. "Something the matter with that book?"

"Oh, nothing!" Link spoke up, rather loudly. "Just...killing a fly with it!"

Vaati was about to argue that flies couldn't possibly exist at this altitude, but decided not to pursue it. He turned back down to the table and began searching through the next pile of papers.

At last, he came upon something of interest. Link watched as Vaati dropped all the other papers in his hand to focus on the one small, square scrap he now held. His eyes widened...then slowly narrowed again. His mouth formed into a thin, concentrated frown. Slowly, Link began to make his way back to his side at the table to see what it was.

"She lied to me," Vaati spoke, once he was close enough to hear. His voice was tight and clearly disappointed. "She doesn't look a thing like me."

Link bent over his shoulder to get a good look. It was a small pictograph of a young woman. Underneath it was written the simple identifier "Pr. Soyo". Vaati's mother. She was smiling. Her eyes were a bright twinkling blue, and her straight orange-colored hair draped over her shoulders. She wore the familiar garb of the Wind Tribe, including a red veil and hoop earrings. Her skin was a natural peach.

Vaati sighed. "I don't know how Siroc could say that I look like her," he complained. "I was hoping to find out the secret as to why I look the way I do. I guess there really is no answer..."

"She _does_ look like you," Link protested. "At least I think she does."

"How?" Vaati insisted. "Her skin is normal, her eyes are normal, her hair is normal..."

"Her hair," Link said. "She's got the same kind of hair as you--straight, smooth, and long."

"Ah, lots of people have straight hair," Vaati replied. He rolled his eyes and put the pictograph back down. "Maybe I look more like my father...though there definitely won't be any pictographs of him in here." He began to sift through the papers again.

But there was something else, Link thought. He picked up the pictograph again and studied it. "Her face..." he said, at last. "You...have the same face."

Vaati just shrugged. "Maybe we have the same nose structure or something obscure like that."

That wasn't what Link meant, but he couldn't find any other way to describe it. It wasn't just the shape of her face... It was the sparkle in her eyes, the little mirthful smile on her face, that glow that seemed to surround her...that was Vaati's smile, Vaati's happy glow. He imagined her having a personality very similar to his. _...They probably would've had a wonderful relationship_, he thought, rather sadly.

"Aha!" Vaati suddenly cried, extricating a small, leather-covered book from another pile of papers. "I've got it!" He flipped it open to reveal the title, handwritten in a delicate, flowing script--"Soyo's Logbook". It was pretty thick.

Link put the picture back down and glanced over at the dead woman's diary. Vaati quickly flipped through it, pages of thin script flying past his eyes, until suddenly, about three-quarters through the book, they suddenly went blank. Vaati stopped at one of the blank pages and stared at it for a moment. Link was perfectly still and quiet, afraid to breathe. They had a small moment of silence.

Finally, Vaati sat back up, elbows resting on the table, and flipped back to the beginning. "You should go out and look for the Light Element," he absently told Link. "It's going to take me a while to read all this."

Link's heart sank a little bit. _I thought he didn't mind me being here while he was going through all this personal stuff._

"...And it's not because I don't want you here. I just think it would be pretty useless for you to just sit here staring at me for two hours."

I wouldn't call that useless...

"And we need to get started searching for that element. I'm not going to get sidetracked again and spend three weeks here playing around. I promise I'll come help you after I'm done."

A little disappointed, Link nodded and turned away towards the door. He'd hoped he might get to read over his shoulder. _Well, I understand_, he thought, as he was walking off down the orange bricked hallway. _Some things are just too personal for even the closest of friends..._

(-)

An hour and a half later, Link trudged back into the laboratory, empty-handed. "No luck," he said, as he plopped himself onto a stool next to Vaati. "I asked Siroc about the Light Element, and she said she had no idea where it was. She said that we should try looking out further from the palace, in the vast, cloud wasteland above us. I can't step out of this palace or I'll suffocate, so I just came back here."

Vaati didn't seem to have heard him. His face was still stuck in his mother's diary.

"Hey...um, Vaati?"

At last, Vaati turned towards him, a faraway look on his face. "What would you do if my name was Valenta?"

"Erm..." Link was completely confused. Where had this come from? "What would I do? If your name was Valenta, I'd call you Valenta. How come...?"

"Because it almost was," Vaati explained. "Listen to this." He flipped back several pages and began to read from the diary.

(-)

"Vikta and I have been scouring the book, looking for special names. You know, those ones with the asterisks next to them. Still, we needed some point to start at. I suggested a similar name to one of our own, but the asterisk "S" names didn't suit the little thing at all. Unfortunately, there weren't many "V" names at all, but we managed to find a couple with the note. Here they are in basic order:

Vaati

Valenta

Vini

I think I like "Valenta" because it sounds like the word "Valentine", but we're going to give it some more consideration. A name is an important thing, you know."

(-)

Link sat up straight in interest and leaned over closer to him, to look at the book's pages. _He _is _going to share it with me! _"So how did they decide on your name?" he asked. "How come you weren't named Valenta?"

Vaati flipped ahead a couple of pages. Link instantly noticed the name written on the page in big block letters--"VAATI!" Soyo was obviously fond of incorporating little drawings and lists into her writing. Vaati began to read right underneath it.

(-)

"It took a while to decide on that name, but we both came to that conclusion after a few days. I think it's wonderful. It may not resemble any other names, but that's what's so special about it. Perfect for our special little child. I especially like the two A's in the middle. I like to say it out loud, and it gives me a good feeling. Vaaaaaaaaaaah-ti. Just like looking at the beautiful little thing gives me a good feeling. I swear, sometimes, I think little Vaati is glowing. It makes me oh so proud to have helped to create this."

(-)

His voice was choking up towards the end of the entry, and he took a deep breath after to compose himself.

"I like your mom," Link decided, a smile poking at his lips. "We have a lot in common." He rested his chin on Vaati's shoulder, nuzzled against his cheek, and sighed. "Vaaaaaaaaaaah..."

Vaati chuckled and gently nudged him off. He flipped ahead quite a few pages and took a deep breath again.

Link slipped back and fell into a solemn expression again. "Is this...the last thing she wrote?"

Vaati nodded, gravely, and began to read.

(-)

"Unfortunately, I will have to return tomorrow. I promised to send a report of my experiences at the end of the two years, and that report is overdue. I wish I didn't have to deliver it in person. Each time I traverse the barrier, it nearly expends all of my energy. As usual, Vikta is insisting that he must come with me. That would be fine with me, but it means we also have to take Vaati along. I really don't want them to find out about Vaati. It would be bad enough if they found out about Vikta. I'm afraid... I shouldn't be. I should have faith in my people. They'll see what's right and leave us alone. At least I hope. Poor little Vaati. They might not see what I see. They could try to take the poor thing away from me...or kill it. I've got to make sure Vikta keeps Vaati hidden.

It's even worse that we haven't reached a definite decision either. It's terrible. How can we foresee what will really be best for this child? Of course, we could make the decision before we returned to the palace, but that's much too short of a time. We've got to weigh all the pros and cons first. A decision like this determines a person's entire life, and it can't just be made like that. Personally, it doesn't matter to me, and it doesn't matter to Vikta either. And that's why we can't reach a consensus! We'd both be perfectly happy if we never made a decision at all, but that would be condemning poor Vaati to an insufferable existence. I just love the child too much, and I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave here. Ever."

(-)

"What's all this about 'making a decision'?" Link asked.

Vaati started a little, as if he'd forgotten that Link was next to him. "I-I don't know," he replied, closing the book with a loud snap. "They probably had to think up some explanation as to why I had white skin and purple hair and red eyes... I still don't understand. She described my father in one entry, and he had normal skin, and black hair, and black eyes. He didn't look a thing like me either. Unless it's just a bunch of birth defects."

"I call them birth _gifts_," Link replied. "Never tell yourself you have birth defects."

Vaati frowned and remained terribly silent. His head tipped down towards the floor. "Er...well..." he spoke up, after a while. "Let's get out of here." He got up, grabbed Link's wrist, and began to pull him out the door with him. Suddenly, he seemed eager to be _away _from his mother's journal.

Vaati has learned well the ways of the Ezlo, Link thought. _Ah, well, if there's something he doesn't want to tell me, it's okay. I'm sure it can't be that bad. _

, Link thought. 

Slowly, as they drew further and further away from the laboratory, Vaati released Link's wrist, and he began to simply walk beside him. They were headed towards the entrance to the Wind Palace.

"I think you look the way you do because you're completely unique," Link excitedly spoke up. "You're an entirely new species! You're a half-Wind Person picori! A Wind Picori! A Picori of the Wind!"

Vaati rolled his eyes. "Okay, whatever. I still think my genes just got messed up."

Link threw his arms around his shoulders. "Well, I'm glad they did!"

At last, Vaati had to smile a little. He reached up to hold Link's arms, as they continued down the hallway towards the entrance.

That was when Link suddenly looked up again. The bright, glowing entrance to the Wind Palace was approaching before them. "H-hey, wait, hold up," he spoke up. "Just where are we going?"

"Outside," Vaati replied, as if it should be completely obvious. "We're going to go look for the Light Element. Didn't you say it's out here in this vast cloud wasteland somewhere?"

Link's eyes grew wide and fearful. "But...b-but..."

Vaati simply clamped his hand over his mouth. For a moment, he felt a little jolt--a spark of magic shooting down into his mouth. Something tapped lightly against the insides of his lungs, and he nearly coughed with shock.

"There you go." Vaati removed his hand and wiped it off on his tunic. "They taught me to do that. Now, you'll be able to breathe outside. Well, at least for a while. Make sure to tell me if it starts wearing off, okay?"

Link gulped uncomfortably and nodded. Still, he couldn't help automatically sucking in his breath just before they stepped out the door. It took him a few minutes to adjust and start breathing properly again--almost as if he were deep-sea diving.

The world outside looked brighter than he had remembered--probably because he had only been half-conscious. Beams of sunlight dappled the cloud ground, peeking through at intervals from both above and below. The clouds were actually quite soft. Link lightly stamped a foot and watched the clouds puff out in little wisps around his boot.

Vaati looked like he was spacing out again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

I hope his little meditation session doesn't last too long, Link worried. _He said this breathing spell is going to wear off eventually..._

, Link worried. 

Just as his thought completed, Vaati opened his eyes again and nodded. "We should go further up," he decided. "I think we'll find the Light Element if we go closer towards the light. Didn't Siroc say it was above us, anyway?"

Link nodded, though he wondered how Vaati planned on getting them further up. There weren't any other little whirlwinds he could channel.

"Okay!" Vaati stepped further away from the palace, rolled up his sleevs, and rubbed his hands in anticipation. Instantly, Link began to feel nervous. "Now I get to try this stuff out!" He held his hands out and placed them in a slightly curved formation. His eyes closed.

Link held his breath, even though he didn't need to. _He's trying out his Wind powers..._ he realized. _This is probably one of the spells the Wind People taught him. _

Link heard the wind before he saw it. It whipped and howled as it began to grow in speed and force. Vaati's hair was flying back behind him, and the end of his tunic was sticking to his thighs. Then, Link noticed the little swirls of wind twisting around and around in front of him. He was helping it spin, shaping its course with his hands. Before either of them knew it, another long wind tunnel was before them, leading further up into the clouds.

At last, Vaati removed his hands, opened his eyes, and smiled. "That wasn't so bad. C'mon, Link!"

Link stepped next to him and took his hand. The long column of wind gently lifted them up like an elevator.

This higher cloud level was littered with even more enemies than usual. Link whipped out his bow and arrows to take out two floating cloud-turtles, while Vaati went after a few cloud sharks. He could use his powers to force them out of hiding and kill them without waiting for them to pop up on their own. The turtles were a pain, since they could hurl balls of blue electricity at them, but Link usually managed to hit them with an arrow before they hit him.

Once, Vaati dove in front of Link, catching the magical blue ball before it could zap him. Link stared wide-eyed at the blue energy in his hand, as if to say "that didn't _hurt_?"

"No abusing your powers!" Vaati scolded the little turtle-monster and hurled the energy ball straight back at it. It squealed and erupted in a puff of electricity.

"Er...thanks," Link replied, still a bit stunned.

"No problem!" Vaati clapped his hands together and looked around, daring any other creatures to try approaching him.

Then, Link realized what really had him stunned. It wasn't just the fact that Vaati could return enemies' attacks. _He's stronger_, he realized. _He's a lot stronger. He actually did more fighting than me. _He _had to protect _me Link wasn't exactly sure how he felt about this. He should be happy, he knew...but he didn't really feel happy. _Oh, come on! _he berated himself. _I'm not getting jealous! It's fine if Vaati is stronger than me... He's got magic. That's the only reason he's stronger. _Finally, Link managed a smile _I _am _happy, _he told himself. _I'm the one that brought this about. I've helped him to become as strong as he is now. All of our work is starting to pay off..._

Vaati stuck his sword back into its sheath at his waist and looked around him, trying to figure out where to go next. Link took a tentative breath to make sure his breathing spell was still working, and then he noticed something. Little sprinkles of color were floating through the air around them. They hung gently above the clouds and slowly streamed in a little line further up onto a small cloud above them in the distance.

"There!" Link cried, pointing towads it. "We should follow the sparkles!"

That was the first time Vaati noticed the sparkles. He looked up at them and his expression slowly soured.

What's the matter with him? Link wondered. _I think the sparkles are pretty. What's that look for?! _And then, suddenly, Link remembered. _Oh...oh, right..._ Even he couldn't look at the little pretty sparkles in the same way anymore.

Link wondered. And then, suddenly, Link remembered. Even he couldn't look at the little pretty sparkles in the same way anymore. 

"Stupid fairies..." Vaati mumbled in a whispery tone. His head tipped down again. "They'd rather die than be ugly. ...We're just the same."

Link's eyes widened as he remembered. His breath caught. His own head bowed over in shame. _That...that time... I said..._ Link couldn't even admit what he had said in his thoughts. _And he...he was... I don't believe it. No one could believe it. Ezlo had said that the Great Fairy of Dragonflies had turned into a monster. But she really hadn't. She had transformed...she was just in a rage at how ugly she looked. Vaati...even though he was evil, he was trying to help. He was trying to save her life... And I said..._

"Link?" He felt a light touch on his shoulder, and when he looked up, a big, wide red eye was staring back at him. "Is...something wrong?"

Link's arms shot up around him, clenching him close to his side. "Vaati!" he suddenly cried. "Oh, Vaati, I'm sorry!"

Vaati stared down at him as if he'd completely lost his mind. What could _Link_ possibly have to be sorry for?! "Wh-Wha?! What's the matter with you?! You're acting like me!"

"I..." Link took a deep breath and restrained the tears that were poking threateningly at his throat. "I said... That time... I'd said...I'd said that I'd never forgive you. But I _never _meant that! Really! I'd never, ever really mean that! Vaati, I'm so sorry I ever said that!!!"

I can't believe it. All this time, I've been telling him that I'd never hurt him. I'd forgotten. At one time, I did. I did want to hurt him. I can't believe...I ever wanted to hurt him... I was _that Link that he sees in his attacks..._

was 

Vaati just laughed.

Link lifted his strained face from his chest when he felt it shuddering and stared at him with confusion.

"Hey, I was the evil one. You had a perfect right to be mad at me. You had a perfect right never to forgive me, either. But you did. And I'm really, really happy for it." He pulled him back into the hug and squeezed him a little tigher. "Let's just forget about that. Besides...we would never have liked each other if we hadn't hated each other first."

Link nodded in his chest. Slowly, the tightness in his throat was beginning to soften and disappear. "Yeah..." he agreed, once Vaati had released him again. "I guess that's right. We've both got a few things we regret...but we can't dwell on them." He smiled into Vaati's face and took on a mock-scolding tone. "And you can't either, you hear me?"

Vaati grinned and saluted him. "Yes, sir."

Link turned back around towards the little stream of sparkles again. "Well, let's not just stand here! We need to follow that fairy dust!" His voice immediately dropped away again when he noticed the distance. "Um...how are we going to get up there?"

Vaati rolled his eyes and stepped closer to the cloud above them. "You're forgetting again." A few minutes later, another long tunnel of wind was winding up, straight into its center. "Up we go!"

Link watched the sparkles as they lifted, trying to keep his mind off the terrible distance it was to the ground. They were high above even the Wind Palace by now.

Vaati coughed as they stepped out of the tunnel. "Where...where are the sparkles leading?"

Link looked back at him in slight concern. He thought he could breathe fine up here. "Straight ahead," Link told him, grabbing his sleeve. "Let's go."

The clouds began to glow brighter in the distance ahead of them, and Link picked up speed. Vaati coughed again as he tried to keep up with him. "Are we almost there?"

"I think so," Link told him. "What's happening to you, anyway?"

"We've gone too far up even for me to be able to breathe. I'm only half-Wind Person, remember? You can still breathe because of that spell, but..." Vaati ran out of breath and let his head hang limply.

"It's okay," Link insisted. The light was glowing brighter and brighter. "We're here!"

Link has to squint very hard, but he could see it. There was something in the middle of all that light. Something slowly revolving... Desperately, he held out his hand to touch it. The light was much too bright now, and flashing yellow splotches were gradually obscuring his vision. He blinked repeatedly, trying to get them to go away.

Vaati was concentrating on breathing as little as possible.

At last, Link felt something plop into his extended hand, and he wrenched it back towards him. He blinked rapidly, and finally noticed the dim outline of a flat, white shape floating above his hand. It was shaped like a long, eight-pointed star and colored a brilliant, gleaming white. "I...I got it!" Link cried out, waving the object over his shoulder so Vaati could see. "We did it! It's the Light Element!"

Vaati wasn't there.

Link desperately blinked again. Maybe he was, but he couldn't see him. "Vaati?" he asked. "Um...where are you?" A sudden tugging on his right sleeve told him that Vaati had moved around to the other side of him. He was just about to turn around, when he felt his body being dragged sideways.

"Um, Vaati?!" he asked, in slight alarm. "What's the matter? Are you okay? Where are we going?" He tried to turn and look at Vaati's expression, but his face was nothing but a giant yellow splatter. Everything was just white with blurry shades of blue and red. And all of a sudden, the ground was gone.

"Waaaaaaaauugh!!!" Link's stomach jumped up into his throat and his entire body was filled with panicked electricity. Then, an instant later, it was over. He hit something soft and squishy, sailed back up into the air again, and bounced lightly back onto it. "Er..." he blinked again, wishing he could actually see what was going on. "What happened? Vaati? Where are you?"

There was the sound of somebody taking a deep breath. Then, Link felt a soft, familiar hand on his shoulder. "Phew! It's much better down here. You got that element just in time!"

"Vaati!" Link whirled around, and pulled his blurry companion into a hug. "I was worried! What happened?!"

"I just jumped down to the next cloud level," Vaati simply stated. "I couldn't take it anymore. How's your eyesight?"

Link blinked several times again, and for a moment, he thought he saw the purple bang that covered Vaati's right eye. "It's getting better," he replied. "I can see your hair now."

"Well, we need to get back to the Wind Palace before your breathing spell wears out. By my estimation, you've only got about two minutes left."

Link's eyes flew further open, and everthing solidified for a moment. "Two minutes?! _What_?! Are you _serious_?!"

"It's no problem." Vaati wasn't concerned at all. "We're right outside the palace. All we need to do is go down."

Link gulped. He knew what that meant. "Erm...well...I wish I could see where..."

"Whooo!!!" Link never got a chance to explain. A pair of dark blue arms squeezed tightly around him, and then, he suddenly felt himself falling again. As he screamed his deteriorating lungs out, he only wondered why in the world Vaati enjoyed this. He'd been so afraid of the roller-coaster and the mine carts before...

Pfff! _Pufff_! _Poft_! The two of them landed and bounced off a series of clouds as they fell, springing up into the air before falling back down again. Vaati was only holding Link by the hands now. He was laughing and jumping up to enhance his bounces. Though Link still couldn't see his face, he could imagine what it looked like right now. That joyous smile, those glowing cheeks... It again reminded him of that cheerful red-haired lady in the pictograph.

! The two of them landed and bounced off a series of clouds as they fell, springing up into the air before falling back down again. Vaati was only holding Link by the hands now. He was laughing and jumping up to enhance his bounces. Though Link still couldn't see his face, he could imagine what it looked like right now. That joyous smile, those glowing cheeks... It again reminded him of that cheerful red-haired lady in the pictograph. 

"Whoohoo! Heehee! Whooo! Wheeee!!!"

Link felt his arms being yanked upwards as they hit the second to last cloud. Vaati was lifting his arms and looking into his face as they bounced. It was almost like he was dancing with him in mid-air. As a little finale, he let go and twirled around just before they landed outside the Wind Palace again. Link couldn't help laughing a little despite his fear when they finally landed and Vaati swept into a bow. "Ta-da!"

Link got back to his feet and started clapping. "Bravo! Spectacular!" Then, he coughed.

Vaati snapped back upright and frowned. "C'mon." He grabbed Link by the arm and began to drag him backwards into the palace. "No more fooling around! We need to get you inside!"

They were inside again in another second. Link took a deep breath and carefully stashed the Light Element away in his bag with the Metal and Electricity Elements. When he looked up again, almost all of the yellow splotches of distorted vision were gone, and he could make out Vaati's smiling face.

"Good job," he told him.

Link was never so happy to be able to see in all his life.

(-)

"Ah. So you have recovered the Light Element."

Link and Vaati stood together before Siroc and Haru in the Wind Palace's throne room again. They had requested a meeting with the old wise woman of the tribe before they left. It was only right to express their gratitude for their hospitality...and Link had a little question for them as well.

"Very efficient. In only three days... And you're leaving? Goodness, it seems like you just got here!"

"Well, we've got to hurry and find the final Secondary Element to complete the Holy Sword," Vaati explained. "Believe me, I'd love to stay longer, but this is more important."

Siroc nodded. "I know." And, indeed, she did know. "A great evil is growing from inside Hyrule Castle, and it will eventually seep out into the rest of the kingdom as well. I can feel it in the air.."

Link snapped to attention. "What's going on? What is this evil? Does it have anything to do with the man in the black robe?"

Siroc gently nodded. "I can't see the details, but I can sense the darkness that surrounds this man. He is staying as a guest in Hyrule Castle...but he shall not be a guest any longer. He is beginning to grow impatient. He is planning something very sinister...probably at this very moment."

Link and Vaati stood, dumbfounded for a moment. The threat had always been there in the background, but now it was becoming real. This man in the black robe was truly here...and he had evil intentions. Vaati mentally kicked himself for not trying to investigate it further while they'd been at the castle, and Link's question immediately popped out of his mouth.

"Where's the Darkness Element?!"

Siroc was a little surprised at this question, and Haru even jumped backwards. Vaati stared at him as well. "What makes you think that they would know that?"

Link shrugged. "I'm just trying to gather some information. You said it's somewhere in Royal Valley, but we have no idea where in Royal Valley. Since the Wind People were once connected with King Gustov, they might know something about it."

Siroc nodded. "Excellent deduction, my boy. Yes. I _do _happen to know the location of the element you seek. But it will definitely not be an easy job to obtain it."

Vaati turned back towards her and gritted his teeth in determination. "It doesn't matter! We _must_ get that element, no matter what! This isn't just about the Holy Sword and the monsters it released anymore. This is about true, dark forces...and I know how dangerous those can be."

Siroc nodded reflectively again. "King Gustov held the Light Element along with the Light Force before he died. It ascended back here, into the clouds, upon his death. It was attracted to the goodness and prosperity he brought to the people. The Darkness Element, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of the Light Element. It was attracted to the jealousy and the hatred that bred in the hearts of men at this time...and still follows them everywhere."

Vaati automatically hid his face again. She was talking about him.

"Today, it has gone back to its original focal point--the polar opposite to Gustov. It rests within the grave of Gustov's assassin."

Vaati quaked in fear. "H-His assassin?"

Link just looked confused and thoughtful. "They actually made him a grave?"

"Oh, yes," Siroc distastefully answered. "He had plenty of followers in his time. It was only after that people began to realize how wrong he was."

Vaati forced himself to calm down and grabbed onto Link's arm for reassurance. "We're goung," he said, mostly telling himself.

Link reached over to pull him closer and made a small bow to the wise woman. "Thank you, madam. We'll head off there immediately. If what you say about the man in the black robe is true, we need to gather the elements as quickly as possible."

Siroc smiled. "Both of you--your determination is admirable. I have no doubt you two will save our kingdom." She turned this time towards Vaati and looked straight into his eyes. "I am proud of what I have made possible."

Slowly, gradually, Vaati gave her a smile back.

"Before you go, take this." Haru spoke for the first time and stepped forward, presenting Vaati with a book. "You should take it with you. It is rightfully yours, after all."

Vaati gratefully accepted it and fingered the soft, leathery cover fondly. His mother's diary. "Th-thank you for everything." He swept down in a low, awkward bow. "I can never thank you enough for all that you've done for me."

Siroc smiled again. "Well, now it's time for you to repay us, and the rest of the kingdom as well."

Vaati nodded and solidly stood up again.

Link slid his hand onto his shoulder and began to turn away. "C'mon. We better get going."

"Oh!" Haru bustled forward again, in a stream of red-and-blue robes. "I forgot! I could just fly you over to Royal Valley, using a wind carpet. It would be much faster than traveling back all that way. Remember when I flew you all the way to Mt. Crenel?"

Link's eyes lit up as he recalled the trip. "Yeah! That would be great!" His eyes wandered back over towards Vaati. "...But can that flimsy little carpet hold three?"

Haru frowned. She put a hand up to her chin as she tried to calculate out the extra weight and the extra force she would need to use. "Um...well...! Hrmmmm..."

"Let _me _do it!" Everyone stared at Vaati in shock. "_I _could fly the carpet," he offered. "Flurris and the others already taught me how to make it levitate and float on the wind. It shouldn't be too hard."

"But...but it'll only be your first time!" Haru cried. "You need to have the experience, especially to go such a long distance. Besides, you only have half the wind control of a full-blooded Wind Person like me. What if you lose control of the carpet and fly into something? What if you fall?! What if it...?!"

"Haru," Siroc sagely interrupted. "The boy wants to try. Let him try."

Haru scowled, but forcibly closed her mouth.

"Erm..." Vaati turned back around to look at Link. "Is this okay with you...?"

Link smiled. "I've had to risk my life plenty of other times. Why should this time be any different? I trust you. You got me through the entrances. You'll get me through this too."

Vaati smiled back at him and nodded. _He believes in me wholeheartedly. He trusts me with his life. No...this time, I'm not going to spend two hours worrying about letting him down. I'm _not _going to let him down!_

"Okay," he finally decided. "Let's go."

(-)

"_Whoohehhoohoohoo_!!!" Vaati squealed in delight as they zoomed past birds and through clouds in the sky. The air rushed over their bodies in an exhilarating, uplifting feeling. As they hurtled through blue space on the little floating piece of fabric, Vaati leaned forward towards the front of the carpet, while Link clenched him around the waist, trying to pull him back and anchor himself. Link felt his own racing pulse in his squeezing arms. Vaati's hair was being pulled straight backwards, and even his bang was flapping back against his head, exposing his right eye. A gigantic smile lit up his face.

"Wh-why are you enjoying this so much?!" Link yelled up to him, over the roaring wind. "You hated the mine cart rides!!!"

"I can control this!!!" Vaati happily called back to him. "I can make it go faster or slower or up or down or diagonal... This is so awesome!!!"

"Then make it go slower, will ya?!"

"Aww, but that's no fun!!!"

"This isn't fun!!! This is _insane_!!! Why are you so obsessed with your Wind powers, anyway?!"

"You don't understand!!!" Vaati turned his head back around, and his hair smacked against the side of his face, though he didn't stop smiling for an instant. "It's like... It's like I've just discovered a part of me that I never knew was there!!! I have all these powers I never even thought about!!! It's amazing!!!"

Link closed his mouth again and pulled a little bit away as Vaati turned around to face the front again. He was coming to terms with his identity. This was part of who he was...and he was embracing it with all that he had. Link resigned himself to let him do anything he wanted. After all, he'd probably never get a chance to immerse himself in his Wind powers like this for a long, long time again.

"Wheee!!! This is so much fun!!! Let's do a loop-the-loop!!!"

"_Heck, no, we're not doing a loop-the-loop_!!!"

Well...almost anything.

Link thankfully felt the carpet slow down a little. But that was only a precursor. Vaati slipped backwards a little. Link tentatively released his waist, wondering what he was doing. Vaati flattened himself out on his stomach, and then reached up. Link felt his arm clasp him tightly around the neck. He was forced down next to him in a similar flattened position.

"What's going on?!" Link turned his head a little bit above Vaati's arm to give him a questioning look.

Vaati smiled. He didn't like the look of that smile. "Oh, nothing. Just hang on tight!!!"

Link felt the arm around him clench tighter, pressing him closer. Link's face flushed just a little. Vaati was clutching his body so tightly to his own...

"Here we go!!!"

They suddenly shot forward at a much faster speed. Link began to feel his center of gravity slipping down into his legs. _Ohmygosh!!! He really_ is _doing a loop-the-loop!!!_

Link had never screamed so loudly in his life. The long, screeching shriek of Vaati's voice pierced his eardrums. Link squeezed the carpet so tightly he was surprised that he didn't rip it. There was a brief, exhilarating moment of adrenaline. Link could see the world and his life whirling past him... Well...at least he'd get to die here, in Vaati's arms...

And then, all of a sudden, it was all over. The carpet gradually leveled out, slowed, and gently glided down towards the approaching grass below. Link couldn't control his body's shaking. Next to Vaati, he could feel that he was shaking too. Pretty soon, they'd just meld together into one great big blob of wiggling jelly. Neither of them could move.

Lazily, the carpet slipped downward until it began to skim the tops of trees...then it skimmed the grass. Vaati gradually reigned it in until it at last came to a total halt.

"Ooof!" It dropped from its hovering position, plopping the two boys over each other and becoming just a regular carpet again.

Vaati untangled himself first and shakily got to his feet. "...Wasn't that _awesome_?!" he cried, once he could speak again.

Link couldn't even stand up. He sat forward and tried to lift himself, but it was impossible. "N-N-Next time we go to a carnival, you are going on the roller coaster with me! There is no way you can say you're too scared after something like that!"

"But that's different!" Vaati complained. "If something goes wrong with the roller coaster, I can't do anything about it!"

"Nuh-uh!" Link insisted. "No complaints! You have no right to complain!"

Vaati laughed and bent down to help him up. "Ah, you enjoyed it, I know you did. Stop denying it."

"I definitely did _not_!!!"

"You're just saying that."

"Look! Look at me shaking! Does that look like I enjoyed it?!"

"You're just trembling from the excitement!"

"Excitement--yeah right! I thought I was going to die!"

"Well, you didn't! See? We're alive! I didn't kill us!"

"Was that a test of trust?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Okay, I'm never trusting you again."

"Hey!"

As the two of them chattered away, they began to walk forwards towards their next destination. From their current spot in the middle of Tribly Highlands, they couldn't see the old graveyard yet. And if they could, they probably wouldn't have been so bright and cheerful.

The land stretching in front of them abruptly transformed. Wavering green grass turned to withering gray stalks, and lush, full trees became knotty, bare barks. From their perches atop these columns of death, ravens with glittering eyes leered down at passersby. The whole area was just one giant, ominous black cloud ahead of them. Sitting...waiting... Just waiting to swallow them up.


	8. Transformation

It's back! I apologize for the wait. First, I had final exams, then I got a cold (it's better now, thankfully), then I finally got a Wii!!! And now, my family's in the middle of moving, so I've had no internet for the past week...

But enough about that. It's an update! And one that I've been waiting to write for a long time. I had this chapter planned out from the start. It's exciting that I've gotten so far in the story. There are only two more chapters left after this one! And I've already broken my length record with this story! (191 pages--the previous record being 183). Yay! I've passed 100,000 words!

Vaati's and Link's birthdays here are completely fabricated. I just made Vaati's in May because that symbol on his robes looks like the symbol for Taurus. And it's May 5th beacause 5 is my favorite number.

The love confession might seem a little frustrating, but it's just how Link and Vaati feel. They'll work it out more later.

I hate flaming keese! The little passage with Link and the flaming keese is a true story from me playing Ocarina of Time. They're just so annoying! Even though there aren't any in Minish Cap, I just couldn't resist adding that scene in.

Unfortaunetly, the next update probably won't be for a while again--but I have a feeling that it's going to be extra super long beacause so much needs to happen in it.

Vaati, Link, Dampé, and Dark Link belong to Nintendo. ...How did Dark Link get into this story?

...I'm not saying any more...

(-)

Chapter 8: Transformation

"It's my birthday."

Link was completely stunned. It took a few minutes for him to make a reply of any kind. He burst out in sudden laughter. "Pffwahaha! Yeah, right it is! You almost had me going for a while there!"

"No," Vaati replied, his voice gravely serious. "It is. Don't you remember the Taurus symbol on my belt? It's May."

Link froze. That was true. The red design of a Taurus symbol that Vaati wore on the front of his picori robes transferred itself onto his belt buckle in this human form--though it was golden on his belt. "Ohmygosh..." Link's eyes widened in terror. "It _is_! But...but I didn't know! What day...I knew you were a Taurus, but...I never asked. I should have known! Oh, Vaati, I'm so sorry! I didn't get you anything!"

Vaati laughed at him. "You didn't have to get me anything. I'm the one who never told _you_. It's my fault.. Besides, you bought me this sword and this cape...I'll just consider them birthday presents. When's _your_ birthday, Link?"

"Next month," he replied, still uneasy. "June. The eleventh."

"Ah-hah!" Vaati teased, flicking him on the head. "I"m older than you now! I'm _fourteen_!"

"I'm taking away your stuffed cucco," Link replied, with a devious smile. "You're too old for him now."

"But that's not fair! You're the one who gave him to me!"

"Yeah, but you were thirteen then."

"Okay, okay, I won't brag about being older than you anymore--just don't hurt Filbert Jr.!"

"Were you afraid that I was going to cut him up and roast him over the campfire?"

"Of course. You're such a bloodthirsty carnivore."

The two of them had gotten much closer to Royal Valley by now. In fact, it would only take one more day of walking to reach it. Right now, they were camping out in a small cave in the side of the cliff just on the other side of the Tribly River. The river ran through the upper half of Tribly Highlands from North Hrule Field to the base of Mt. Crenel. Thankfully, it was pretty short, and they'd only encountered a few octoroks and keatons, which were complete pushovers.

Vaati tried to use his sword as much as possible to get in more experience, and it was paying off. At their next training session, he managed to execute two full spin attacks without getting dizzy.

Now, at last, the two were settling in to their shelter for the night. Tomorrow, they'd just need to climb up the cliff and they'd be in Royal Valley. Finding their way to the graveyard was another story.

Vaati snuggled back into Link's arms as their campfire began to die out. In fact, he hadn't even realized that it was his birthday until this morning. Strange how he'd completely lost track of time...but he didn't really mind. This was probably the best birthday he'd ever had.

Link sighed. "I wish I had the ingredients--I'd make you a blueberry pie. Remind me when we get back home."

"Mmm."

Link looked down at Vaati's face. His head leaned sideways against his chest, and his eyes were closed, contentedly. He'd probably fall asleep right there in a few more minutes.

A tremendous feeling swelled up from inside Link's heart. "Vaati..." he managed to whisper. He moved down, almost automatically, without even being aware of it. "I'm sorry I didn't have a present for you. But please accept this." His lips pressed lightly against his exposed cheek. That surface was so smooth, cushy, and warm... He kissed him again, a little further up. And then on the forehead. And the top of his head. Link didn't want to stop. He never wanted to stop. And another...and another... Link couldn't contain his smile when he pulled away at last. Fourteen little kisses. Vaati had turned around by now, snuggling deeper into his chest, his face a warm pink. Link leaned over one last time. "...Happy Birthday," he whispered into his ear.

(-)

_I have to. I have to do this. I can't...I can't just let this keep happening without telling him... I'd afraid... That last time...I didn't want to stop. I wasn't going to stop. I just...wanted to kiss him...all over...I didn't want to stop. If that happens again... I'm so afraid... I don't want to hurt him. That's the last thing in the world I ever want to do is hurt him... I have to let him know... But...but..._

Link looked down into the bright green, grassy ground. Soon, it would die out and crinkle up into a gray powder. They'd reached the top of the cliff, and just a little further north was the monotone dullness of the beginning of Royal Valley. Once they entered into that gray realm, everything would become focused on survival and finding the way. It had to be now. It _had _to be. Otherwise, it would be too late... It would be too late. He had to. Just do it. Get it over with. The consequences would be even more disastrous of he didn't...

_C'mon...you've got to...hurry up...the time's slipping away... _Link forced his trembling leg forward. He clutched nervously at his tunic. _Come on..._

"Um...Vaati?" For a brief moment, Link felt like he was outside himself, watching his body as these strange words came out of his mouth. He'd started. There was no going back. This was the only chance he'd get. He was doing it, though he didn't feel like he was.

Vaati poked his head back up. He'd been slicing up the grass again, looking for anything useful. At the sound of his name, he'd whirled around, sheathing his sword again and smiling at him. "Yeah, Link?" he chirped.

"We...we need to...well... I have to tell you something. It's important." Link wasn't even thinking about it anymore. His heart was still pounding, but now the words were just slipping out of him on their own. His soul was seeping its way out through his mouth.

Vaati's smile fluidly withered, and as it grew smaller and smaller, his visible eye grew larger and larger. He held his breath inside him. "What is it?" he asked. His voice was soft and gentle, as if afraid to hurt Link if he spoke too loudly. "Is...something the matter?"

Link couldn't look into that wide, pure, sparkling red eye anymore. In order for the words to flow out again, he couldn't look into his sweet, innocent face. It was too much for him. He couldn't watch the impact.

"Well...not really. At least I don't think so."

Link's arms automatically clenched against his sides and he mindlessly squeezed his right arm tighter. The entire world was watching him. He heard the soft, rustling sound of Vaati moving closer to him in concern. This was it...probably one of their last easy moments together. Link savored the sound of Vaati's little feet against the grass. His feet were so gigantic as a picori, but they were so tiny as a human. In fact, everything about him was like this...his hands, his arms, his head, his legs... He was just so...delicate. Link was so afraid of hurting him. Vaati could be injured so easily...

"Vaati...I..." he couldn't say. He wanted to delay it for just a few more precious, sweet moments. "I...well... I know I didn't really like you when we first met each other. We were on opposings sides, so naturally... But...but ever since you repented and showed your true self, I've been fascinated with you..."

Vaati was pulling back in confusion, though his grave expression remained fixed.

"When...when you came back, and when we started this journey, I got to know you better. I was so fascinated--I wanted to learn more. I wanted to know everything about you. I wanted to help you. I...And... The more I get to know you...I just like you even more. Just being around you...it makes me so happy..." Link's voice wavered. Without even realizing it, he'd begun to cry. All those times...all those wonderful, happy times... "I...I don't...ever want to leave you, but I don't ever want to hurt you either..."

Link's voice was just barely audible, and Vaati had to take a step closer just to hear it. _This is it. This is it. Just let it out..._

"Vaati..."

Vaati stepped closer again. His features knitted in some unidentifiable, anxious expression.

"I...think I..."

He had to hold his breath to hear Link's soft, teary whispers.

"I think I...am...in love...with you."

The silence was so heavy and thick. Complete...utter silence. Even the river below them seemed to stop splashing, the insects in the grass seemed to stop chirping, and the wind seemed to hold completely still, waiting for this moment to pass before it could breathe again. Link slowly opened his eyes to take in the sight of his own brown boots against the bright grass. If he looked hard enough, he could see the little pebbles in the dirt beneath it.

"Aaugh..." Vaati tried to say a word, but it only came out as this meaningless noise. "Agh...I...well...I'm honored." He gently stood up straight again and smiled. "I...just...don't know what to say..."

_No..._ Link coldly realized. _No...that's not what you were supposed to say..._

"I...always kind of thought that you were, but I thought it would be really vain to think that you loved me, so...um..."

Link was beginning to breathe again. The tears flowed down his cheeks more readily now, like blood from a fresh wound.

"Well...then..."

"I knew it!" Link flew back upright. He caught a quick glimpse of Vaati's shocked face before he shook his head and the whole world flew around him. "I knew it! I...I'll just go. I'm sorry. I won't...I...I...I'm sorry!" And finally, with that, Link whipped around, turning towards the looming gray patch of land and running as fast as he could away from him.

Vaati couldn't move. He tried to lift his arm, but found that it had been glued to his side. What had just happened?! Slowly, he managed to clench his hand up into a fist against his chest.

_I don't know... I've never really thought about him in that way. I was never looking for romance. I just...wanted to be with him and have fun. Do I love him? If I have to ask myself that, then I don't think I really do. I can't force myself to love him...in that way. What _is _love? I...I just don't know..._

Vaati was squeezing his hand so tightly that it began to tremble. His legs followed, until his whole body was trembling. Link was growing smaller and smaller towards the gray cloud of the cemetery. He was disappearing...soon, it would swallow him up, and he'd be gone forever.

_I don't know..._

Link would save the world on his own. He'd do anything to avoid hurting him...even at his own expense. He truly loved him.

_I don't know...but...he can't leave! I...I just want to be with him!!!_ Vaati finally exploded in a frantic sprint towards the little green blob in the distance. _Link!!! Please!!! It doesn't matter!!! JUST DON'T GO!!! _After a while, he began to feel a terrible, fierce fire burning at the bottom of his lungs. But he couldn't stop! Link was disappearing!

As if by magic, Link's form suddenly began to grow and take shape. Vaati forced his burning leg muscles to go faster. He was growing larger...there was that familiar floppy green hat, the soft, messy golden hair, the little brown boots... He had stopped for a moment to catch his breath. This was the only chance!

In a mad, desperate flurry, Vaati lunged forward, flinging his arms around Link's waist, and collapsing in a heap at his feet.

Link gasped at the sudden contact and twisted his head around. He couldn't move his body, since Vaati was squeezing him so tight. There were tears drying on his cheeks, and tears slipping out of Vaati's eyelids too. The back of Link's tunic felt suddenly damp and vibrated gently with the shaking body against it.

"Link..." His voice came softly between gasping and choking. "I'm sorry...I don't know...I'm not sure...if I love you...the way you love me. B-But...I... You can't leave! I...I just want to be with you...no matter what. So...please, don't leave! ...I don't know what I'd do."

Link swept himself around, reaching down to wrap Vaati up in his arms. He pressed his head so tightly into his stomach that it almost hurt. At last, he let out a small breath and smiled. "Vaati...it's okay. That's good enough for me. I...I realize now. I didn't want to hurt you by being too close to you, but now I realize that leaving you would hurt you even more than staying with you."

Slowly, Vaati's shaking was tapering off, and his body was solidifying again. He wiped the last of his tears off on Link's tunic and smiled, turning his head up to look at him. Link brushed his hair a little. "...Thank goodness."

All they could do was hug together in the comfortable silence. The world seemed to be returning to normal again. Link gradually slipped down, until he was kneeling right beside Vaati and pressing against his forehead. It was such a long, relieved, soothing silence.

When Link finally pulled away, it was only to give him a caring warning. "Just make sure you let me know if I ever do anything that you're uncomfortable with. Or just scream and attack me. You have my personal permission to punch me across the face."

Vaati chuckled a little bit. "Thanks. But don't think I don't enjoy this, because I really, really do!"

"That's good." Link leaned over and kissed the last of the tears drying on his cheek. "There we go. We're all better now."

Vaati smiled wider, and the two of them finally got back up to their feet.

Link turned back around to face the new visible outlines of gray, shriveled trees and grass in front of them. "Well..." he replied, with a slightly sarcastic smile. "Shall we get back to the matter at hand?"

(-)

They'd finally reached the Lost Woods and were a little...well, lost. "I swear I've seen that patch of grass before!" Vaati pointed accusingly at one indistinguishable piece of the ground. "The one with the little pebbles next to it! I remember it!"

"Sure, you remember it," Link replied. "Because there are ten thousand patches of grass exactly like it!"

Vaati paused for a moment to think. "...I thought the one back there was a little grayer. This one looks more like the other one we saw five minutes ago."

Link delved back into his thoughts as Vaati hopelessly scoured the area looking for clues. The surroundings didn't seem to affect him at all, which was what Vaati couldn't understand. How could you not be on high alert in a creepy place like this? Well, Link had been here before, so he knew what it was like...plus, he had a lot to think about.

_All that...and I don't even feel like we got anywhere. Now I know how he feels. But that doesn't really help this dilemma. _He sighed a little, following Vaati's every move as he stepped back to try to illuminate the tree with the floating light ball hovering above his hand. _He doesn't love me. Well, no, I can't really say that. He doesn't _know _if he loves me. He likes me. He likes me a lot. But he's so honest, he doesn't want to say that he loves me until he's really sure. ...He probably doesn't even know what love feels like. He's never loved anyone, besides Ezlo, as a father. He _was _evil, even if just for a little while. I wonder if he is _capable _of loving someone else..._

Suddenly, Vaati gave a start and whirled around to run back towards Link.

_But I guess that's reasonable. I mean, at one time, I thought I loved Zelda, but I never really did. If I had said "I love you" to her, it would've been a lie, and I would've broken her heart. But I'm sure this time. I know I love him. I've never felt this way about someone else before..._

"Ohmygoddess! Link! I just saw a ghost back there!!! It's coming towards us!!!" Vaati's red eye was gigantic and fearful. He shook terribly and clutched to Link's sleeve.

Link just blinked, confusedly. "A ghost?"

"A _ghost_!!!" Vaati yelped, pulling on his arm a little harder.

Suddenly, just at that moment, a small, white figure slipped out of the darkness around the trees. It floated in the air, blinked its one eye at them, and wagged its pink tongue, teasingly.

"Yep. It's a ghost."

"_W-Well_?!" Vaati shrieked. "It's a _ghost_!!! What are we going to _do_?!"

Link casually stepped forward, took out his sword, and smacked the ghost several times across the face. Finally, it gave off a shriek and disappeared with an X across its eye.

Vaati watched the whole ordeal in fascination. "You killed it..." he breathed. "And it was solid. I...I didn't know you _could _kill a ghost. 'Cause, you know, they're technically already dead..."

"Well, now it's double-dead," Link replied, in satisfaction.

"Okay!" Vaati transferred his light ball to his left hand and pulled out his own sword. "Next time we come across one, I'll be ready!"

Link smiled. He's gotten over that fear really fast. "Okay..."

Vaati looked back down at the ground. Suddenly, he began to notice a pattern in the stones' placement. "U...Up!" he read. "The ground says up!"

Link looked over to his spot. "Up? What does that mean?" He looked into the sky. "How are we supposed to go up?"

Vaati walked around the letters until they were facing the right way, and looked up again to reorient himself. "Maybe it means straight ahead. That's "up" from the letters on the ground."

"But we're in 3-D," Link argued. "So up _should _be above us."

"But the sign's in 2-D," Vaati told him. "The direction the sign refers to should be in reference to its own dimension. In which case, up is the same thing as straight ahead!"

"I'm so confused!!!" Link cried, taking off his hat to cradle his head in his hands.

Vaati took a deep breath. "Okay..." he began to explain. "We're not flat, but the sign is. Directions would be different if we were flat. Imagine if we were pasted to the ground and we couldn't move away from the ground. Up would mean whatever was above our heads--which from the perspective of this sign, is that way."

This explanation didn't sem to have helped Link at all. He was just as confused as ever. "It doesn't matter!" he burst out at last. "If we were pasted to the ground, up would still be up!"

Vaati sighed again. "Well, just trust me, okay? This is the right way."

Link frowned. He'd said "trust me". "Er...remember what happened the last time I trusted you with anything?"

"Yeah, well this time, I mean it!" Vaati replied. "And what's the worst that could happen? We'd just get more lost if I was wrong."

Link paused for a moment to consider.

"Oh, come on!" Vaati finally decided. He grabbed Link's arm and began to pull him towards the opening in the forest just in front of them.

_Wow..._Link realized, after a dazed moment of confusion and shock. _Vaati leads the way! I can't believe this is happening! _And when they reached the other side, they had emerged from the forest, into the equally dark and spooky outskirts of the graveyard.

"See?" Vaati spoke up. "I was right, wasn't I?"

_Not only is he getting to be stronger than me, but he's much smarter than me! _

Link stood up straight again and got a look around him. Several old, dead trees rimmed the rusty, twisted iron gate that led into the royal graveyard. Unfortunately, it was locked again. "Looks like we'll have to pay a little visit to the grave-keeper," Link told Vaati, disappointedly.

_Of course it's locked, _he reminded himself. _It's been a year since I've been here to see the spirit of King Gustov_.

"The grave-keeper?" Vaati asked. "...Are we going to be assaulted by ghosts once we get in there?"

"Nah," Link told him. "Weirdly enough, all the dangerous ghosts migrated away from the graveyard." He turned around to his right and held his lantern up higher in the air, trying to see further into the distance. "Now where is...oh, there he is!"

A large, lumpy shape materialized in the distance, against a larger darkened shape that resembled a house. Link immediately ran towards it, and Vaati reluctantly followed. "Hey, Dampé!"

The figure moved and lifted a small lantern of its own, revealing that it was actually a man. He was short and hunchbacked with a bald head and deformed features. Vaati's eyes widened, though he quickly turned away. He, of all people, shouldn't be staring. He probably looked just as strange.

"Eh?" Dampé lifted his lantern a little higher to get a better look at their faces. "Link, that you? Ya got a spirit behin' ja."

Link turned around. "Oh!" he realized, pulling Vaati up beside him. "This is my friend, Vaati. He's not a spirit."

Vaati shuddered a little. How could Link just reveal his identity outright like that?

Dampé just nodded and lowered his lantern again. Apparently, he lived so far removed from the rest of society that he'd never even heard of him. He began to shuffle forward towards the gate, and Link stepped back to allow him. "Whatcha need da graveyard for?" He was proceeding to unlock the gate despite not having an answer yet.

"Well, there's something inside we need to save the world."

"Uh course." Dampé pushed the rusty old gate open, and it shrieked shrilly in protest. Link gave the grave-keeper a nod of thanks and proceeded through the gate, dragging Vaati in behind him.

Dampé held up his lantern again as they went past, and for a moment, his eyes met with Vaati's. Though neither of them said anything, they knew what the other was thinking. It was a mutual moment of understanding between two outcasts. It passed quickly, and the approaching darkness soon swallowed the deformed grave-keeper as they advanced into the Royal Valley graveyard.

Vaati stepped up next to Link again and tried to look around their surroundings. Much of the graveyard was still veiled in darkness, though he could see the gray cobblestone path under their feet and the few little glowing torches in the distance. Immediately, he got out his sword, in case any other ghosts decided to startle them. Even though Link had said there were only friendly ghosts in the graveyard, he didn't entirely trust his environment.

Link gave off an exasperated sigh. "Now...I have no idea where the grave of the king's assassin is. So I guess we're going to have to check every gravestone."

"_Every _gravestone?" Vaati questioned. "Isn't that going to take...a really long time?"

"Nah," Link told him. "Only members of the royal family and their advisors get buried here."

Vaati's mind boggled, imagining the ghosts of past kings and queens floating out of the darkness. Suddenly, he remembered a technique Ezlo had once used in order to contact the spirit world. He'd forgotten what had been so important, but the actual magical spell had fascinated him. Most of the people here would be in the spirit realm. Only those who had died tragically would be left here as ghosts. Suddenly, he didn't feel so nervous about encountering one.

"Okay..." Link mused. "Since he was only an advisor, his grave should be near the bottom here somewhere, with the other graves of advisors. Link turned to his left and began to search among the nearest gravestones, reading their descriptions, and moving further down the line. Vaati kept a sharp lookout for any wandering spirits while he made his observations.

At last, in the far left corner, Link came to a large, ragged old tree, under which he found the correct grave. He didn't know the man's name, but thankfully, there was a title attached--"advisor to King Gustov". "Ta-da!" Link exclaimed. "Now, we just need to go inside."

_Inside?!_ Vaati stared in disbelief as Link moved himself around to the back of the gravestone and somehow grabbed a hold of the stone monument. With a few tugs, the gravestone came loose, and Link pulled it backwards, revealing a large hole underneath.

Vaati's eyes widened. He cautiously peeked into the hole, expecting to see the man's skeleton inside...but it was just a hole. He couldn't even see the bottom--it reached down in a deathly darkness to the center of the earth.

Link dusted off his hands and joined him at the side of the gaping, black hole. "Well, that was pretty easy. Here we go!"

And before Vaati had a chance to protest, he was leaping down into the hole, dragging him with him. he only got to scream for a millisecond, before he slammed downwards onto something lumpy. Vaati blinked and tried to look around in all this terrible darkness. He couldn't see anything that was around him, but he could perfectly make out the figure underneath him.

Link groaned and struggled out from under his knees. "Erg...you...got heavier...since last time..."

"Ah!" Vaati leaped to his feet. "Ohmygosh! I'm so--uh, I mean, I didn't mean to do that!"

Link chuckled and slowly got back up to his feet. "S'okay, I'm fine. I can handle the extra weight."

Vaati's expression immediately changed from one of shock and shame to a dangerous glare. "...Are you calling me fat?"

Link gave a small start, not realizing that what he'd said could've been taken that way. "No! No, no. I mean...you did gain some weight, but that was healthy!" Vaati just continued scowling and turned away from him.

_Gee...sometimes, he's as touchy about these things as a girl!_

After searching around a little longer, Link found a pair of torches to light, which illuminated the small room and showed them the thick, earthen walls and closed stone arch doorway in front of them. "Looks like we're going to have another dungeon for this one," Link assessed, getting his sword ready. "That's good.I was getting sick of all these easy elements."

Vaati magically produced an elastic band and tied his hair up in dungeon style. "Okay. I'm ready."

Link stepped forward, pushing a protruding stone button into the floor. The door rolled up out of the way...and the dungeon stood before them. And together, they took deep breaths and plunged in.

(-)

Ghosts, stalfos, and mummies populated the dark stone corridors of the underground dungeon. After detailing their weaknesses, Link found it much more convenient to let Vaati cast combustion spells on the mummies. This way, neither of them risked getting too close and being caught in a death-grip.

Though they weren't so difficult to dispense, reoccuring hordes of flaming keese were an extreme annoyance. They swooped down with no warning, and Link had terrible aim when shooting arrows from a distance.

"Oh, just let me freeze it already!"

"Aw, c'mon, I almost had it that time!" Link was standing in the doorway before a bottomless room with periodic pillars to cross on top of. He held his bow ready, his eyes fixed on the little fireball-bat flapping in lazy circles above the third pillar. "Just one more. I think I know where to catch him now! That last one was just a test shot."

Vaati sighed. "You're going to run out of arrows again..."

Link paid no attention and strung another arrow. A moment later, the arrow was flying through the air. It whizzed perfectly above the bat's head, between its wings. It continued flying, oblivious.

"Oh my _gosh_!" Link exclaimed. "Did you _see _that?!"

Vaati shook his head, hopelessly. "I saw. Now let me freeze it."

"No," Link replied, waving a hand back at him. "You save up your magic." His eyes narrowed as he glared at the little flying monster. "Now it's personal."

He shot off arrows like a madman. At last, one of them pierced the keese's wing. It gave off a shrill squeak and plummeted into the abyss below.

"Whahaha! I got it! How do you like _that_, huh? _Huh_?! Dead! Dead dead deady dead dead!"

Vaati peeked into the quiver at his waist. "And with exactly two arrows left. I can't believe you just wasted twenty-eight arrows on one little bat."

"But I killed it, didn't I?!"

"Urrrrgh..."

Link was finding himself in even more situations like these--it seemed that now _he_ was more reliant on _Vaati_ than the other way around. Vaati froze keese, lit mummies on fire, floated them over chasms, opened locked doors, helped solve timed puzzles, and he was prettty good in a swordfight too. Link couldn't help but feel a bit like a weakling. To top it all off, he was starting with a bit of a headache. However, he would soon have to take the lead position again...

(-)

The large poe exploded in a giant puff of smoke. "Phew," Link spoke up. He wiped his brow and began to search around behind him for a few hearts to cure the minimal injuries to his arms.

Vaati was unharmed, but he didn't look perfectly happy. As Link searched through the pots that lined the walls, he stared down into the circular pattern on the floor. "Um..." he finally spoke up. "The Darkness Element is in here, isn't it?"

Link nodded. He found a couple of hearts and waited a moment as they sealed up his wounds. "That's right. Did you forget already? Well, I guess we have been down here a long time. This is one _big_ dungeon!"

Vaati only continued to stare. His legs clenched together in anxiety. _The Darkness Element... I remember... The feel of darkness inside my body...taking over...spreading like an infection... I...I loved the feeling. I hate it now, since I know what it is and what it does, but back then, it was something I enjoyed. I was unable to resist. This Darkness Element is the embodiment of that power. What if...what if I am again unable to resist? What if it takes over...? _His body tightened in fear and shame.

By now, Link had noticed his expressions and had moved close to his side. "Are you okay, Vaati?"

Vaati forced himself into a nod and put on a face of false cheerfulness. _I don't want to worry him_. "Yeah. Maybe just a little tired."

"Well, you should take a rest. Let me do all the fighting. I can do it--it'll just take longer. You need to save your magic and try to recharge for the boss battle."

Of course, Vaati still had plenty of magic, but if he had to pretend he was low, than so be it. _The boss battle..._ His dread elevated as he followed Link out of the arena room. It was coming soon. What was he going to do about that?! _Oh my gosh...no matter what, there should be a high amount of darkness surrounding the location of the Darkness Element. I'm going to fight it. Of course, I'm going to fight it...but what if it automatically..._

"Hey, whoa!" Link's arm slammed into his chest, just barely preventing him from stepping into a large pool of quicksand. "What's the matter? You're walking around like a zombie!"

"Ah!" Vaati popped back into the present. "Ah...whoops. Um...I'll try to pay attention now."

"Were you having another attack?"

Vaati shook his head. "Nah. I'm just...thinking a lot."

"Well, this isn't the time to space out! We're getting closer to the end of the dungeon. It's only going to get tougher from here."

Vaati took a deep breath. He had to concentrate on the dungeon for now. He'd deal with the boss when the issue came up. Even though he remained in the moment, helping Link cross the quicksand, deciphering a tough puzzle involding several moveable blocks and a gate, and defeating two knights swinging spiked balls, the thought still hung over him like a crushing black cloud.

Link couldn't really understand what was wrong with him, but he couldn't blame him for not feeling well. His own headache hadn't gotten better at all, and it even fely as if it had intensified. Maybe it was because they were so far underground now. Link imagined that they had already traveled underneath all the graves in the graveyard, including King Gustov's.

"Aha!" At last, he flipped over a nearby boulder with the Cane of Pacci to discover a button on its underside. He pressed it down, and a giant treasure chest appeared, but when he took his hand off, it disappeared again.

"Vaati, could you hold this button down while I open the chest?"

"Sure."

Link emerged again from the chest, holding a giant key up above his head. Vaati had no idea why, but for some reason, he just liked lifting things above his head whenever he got them out of chests. It was some kind of weird habit. "Yay, it's the boss key!" he cried as he lowered it again to stash it in his pack. "Now we just need to find the door!"

Vaati's voice caught in his throat. He should tell him now...that way, he'd be prepared. But he couldn't. He couldn't move. He was frozen. It was here. It was happening. No...it couldn't be happening already...

And then, the door didn't come too much farther after that. In just a few short jumps over pillars, Link and Vaati were standing before a large, black door with chains spreading over it. Link grabbed a few hearts from the pots on the side and proceeded straight towards the door.

The darkness was in there. Vaati could feel its power throbbing on the other side of those thin stone doors. He began to immediately imagine the feeling of it filling his body, and he could almost feel it prickling at the edges of his skin. A sharp gasp shot out of his lips.

Link whirled around, immediately focused completely on him. "Vaati?! What happened?!" Out of habit, he grasped his shoulders as if to pull him out of an attack and stared into his face. Ever since their battle with the mini-boss, something had been bothering him, and it had apparently increased, culminating in that gasp. Link knew that Vaati really wasn't feeling well, no matter how hard he tried to hide it--he just knew him too well. He was stronger, trying to fend it off and drive it away...but now it was overwhelming him.

"I..." Vaati's hands were trembling as they grasped the collar of Link's tunic. "I can't go in there."

Link's breath knotted in his chest. Vaati had been afraid of the other boss in the Cave of Flames...but not to this degree. What was so different about this one? It was sure to be a bit more difficult, but they'd gotten through the other battle just fine, and they'd both been much weaker then. Gently, he moved his arms up to slide them over Vaati's back. "It's okay. We'll beat it. You're a lot stronger now. It'll be no problem."

Vaati shook his head rather violently and tried to bury it against Link's chest. "N-No. I...I can't go in there. I _can't_. The darkness... The darkness is going to consume me. I can feel it..." Suddenly, that feeling flashed through his memory--of that _thing_ inside of him, spreading throughout his body, trying to claw its way out from within. His trembling grew worse. "I can't... Link...I'm sorry...but you're going to have to fight it by yourself."

Link smiled. That was all? Vaati looked up again to see his smile, and his body immediately began to relax. Link playfully flicked his ponytail. "I thought I told you not to say that."

Vaati's tensed muscles relaxed so quickly that he felt like jelly. Slowly, he began to gather himself up again and pull out of Link's arms. "Link...thank you so much."

Link couldn't help it. He leaned over to give Vaati's cheek a quick kiss. Just one little kiss for his sweetheart before battle. A promise that there would be more to come. "No problem. I got through all the other dungeons by myself before I knew you. I'll be fine. I'll go slay the monster for you."

At last, Vaati smiled again. "Make sure to bring back a souvenir!"

"Yup. I'll get us a nice Darkness Element, how about that?"

Vaati beamed back at him, as if he was his savior--and he was, in a way. "Knock it dead."

Link gave him one final smile, stepped up to the oversized door, and stuck the big key in the lock in the center. It turned and clicked open, and the door slid up. All Vaati could see on the other side was darkness--a heavy, pitch black atmosphere. Link unsheathed his sword, took a deep breath...and finally stepped forward, enveloping himself in the black substance.

Vaati closed his eyes and turned away just as the door slid shut. Link could do this. It was just a matter of time.

(-)

How long had it been? An hour? A half-hour? It had been ten minutes in reality. Each second felt like ten. Vaati pressed his body against the wall next to the boss door, straining to listen to the sounds of battle. There were the distant, clear clanging noises of metal against metal--sword clashes. Whatever he was fighting had a sword as well. Occasionally, if he fell completely silent, he could hear Link's little grunts of exertion.

Vaati clenched his eyes closed. _It's not fair. I should be in there, helping him. I _want _to be helping him. It's not right. He's fighting my battles for me. But, it's safer this way. With all this dark power around, I could...I might _transform. His breath came in little gasps. _I might lose my mind...I might hurt him...I might kill him! _Vaati began to tremble, though he managed to hold in his tears. _Anything but that. I'd do anything...to protect him. _

"HEEAAAAAAUGH!!!"

Vaati's body snapped back up, and his shaking halted completely. He felt frozen--turned to stone just like Zelda. _LINK!!!_

That scream...a scream of pure anguish...of bloodcurdling terror. No...no, it couldn't be... Vaati squeezed his tunic and clenched his body into a perfectly still silence, listening harder than he had ever listened before. Nothing. No more clangs of metal. No more groans and shouts. Not even a pattering of footsteps.

The most terrible, icy dread spread through Vaati's chest. He felt as if the world was melting and crumbling around him. Even compared to the sensations of transforming, this feeling was the ultimate worst. _Link_... _Link_... _Link_...

No. It didn't matter now. He had to do something. He couldn't just stand here anymore!

"LINK!!!" Vaati burst forwards, blasting the door open with a magical beam. The darkness didn't matter at all now. In fact, he didn't even seem to notice the dense, hot darkness pressing down on his small frame. His body sliced through it as he sprinted further and further into its core. A little blue flame ignited above his palm to light the way, and Link's name continued to explode out of him. He didn't even feel as if _he _was doing it anymore. These actions were just...automatic. Anything. He was prepared to do anything.

At last, soft groans reached his ears, and he homed in on their source. A moment later, he spied a body in the flicker of his light ball and tumbled desperately to its side. Link.

His eyes met with the very image he had dreaded--Link crumpled against the stone floor, soaked in blood. Vaati's hands trembled as he set the light globe down and moved to examine his injuries. Link's hat had fallen off, and it lied limply next to him. His hair was even more ragged, and a few little cuts on his face glistened. His tunic was torn to bits on his right side, and most of the blood was seeping out of the massive, choppy wound underneath the torn fabric.

Despite the unbelievable pain and the immense blood loss, Link's pure blue eyes were still struggling to stay open. At the sight of Vaati, he attempted to move, only sending him recoiling in a fresh wave of searing pain.

Immediately, Vaati pressed his hands against the sticky, ripped-up flesh. Link's body shuddered, but suddenly, the pain was beginning to subside. The skin underneath Vaati's hands began to bubble and grow. Before long, the giant wound was half-closed.

Finally having recovered enough strength, Link lifted his left arm and seized Vaati's wrist, wrenching it away from him. The healing spell lost contact, and his skin settled back into its half-open state, though it had stopped bleeding. Link's eyes opened a tiny bit more and stared straight into Vaati's face. It was impossible to discern his expression.

"V...Vaati?"

Vaati instinctually began to reach forward, as if to comfort him and reaffirm his presence.

"It's me."

Vaati's eyes widened in confusion. "It's you?"

At last, Link's eyes rolled back in his head. His eyelids dropped like heavy doors. His hand and his head dropped limply around him. Vaati leaped to his knees, pressing his hand to his exposed neck. Pulse. Good. He'd passed out. It was no wonder, with all the blood he'd lost.

For a moment, Vaati was so relieved to know he wasn't dead, that for a moment, he even forgot the situation he was in. Something had done this to Link. ...Apparently, that something was still alive. The dread flew back, piercing itself into Vaati's chest. He crouched over Link's crumpled body, the ball of light only softly illuminating their outlines in shades of blue mystique. Everything was pure, deep darkness. He couldn't even see the pinprick of light from the doorway anymore. This thing... It was in this very same room with him...probably watching him this very second. And if it had injured Link this badly...it could _kill_ him!

_This is it. We're going to die. It's going to kill me. And then it'll kill Link. _

That thought suddenly filled Vaati with an entirely new emotion--anger. Anger at himself. How could he let himself think that?! How could he think for a moment that he would just sit here and die, letting this monster kill Link in the process?! No matter what, he had to defend him!!! Even if he only died in the end, he would give every small ounce of power that he could gather to protect him! He would fight it...fight it like he'd never fought before. With all of his own power.

Vaati rose to his feet, piercing into the darkness, as if daring the creature to appear. Strangely enough, Link's words echoed back into his head. _It's me_.

_FWOOSH. FWOOSH. _It was approaching. Deep sounds of rushing wind were thumping in the distance. Steadily, they grew louder and louder. It was coming from above him. _FWUP! FWUP! _Those were wing-beats--the sound of a hundred birds taking off in one thump. And, at last, the creature morphed and shaped into existence out of the darkness.

Vaati stared up into it, though he didn't feel dwarfed at all by its massive size. This was a very familiar shape. One round, black body, one piercing red eye rimmed by gold, two curving horns, two little lower wings, two large, black bat-like wings, two long, jointed arms topped by pointy talons...

"It's me."

Something ripped out of his back. It didn't hurt at all. They curled around him for a moment. And as easily as if he were born in it, Vaati took to the air.

The monster followed his every move, and for a moment, they faced off in mid-air. It shot forward, charging at him, but his body swerved and rushed through the air, out of the way. It twirled back around and thrust its arm out towards him. The dagger-like talons just barely missed scraping his cheek. It was faster than its appearance suggested.

A pause. Its arms reached towards him, trying to catch Vaati within its sharp claws. He ducked and plopped back onto the floor, just barely evading the claws of death. The monster faded backwards into the veil of darkness again. It took a moment to regroup itself.

Vaati tensed, pinpointing its location from within the shroud. His body flew up again. It whooshed in from the left. Vaati rose higher into the air, feeling the tips of the monster's wings as they brushed against his feet. It retreated again for another chance.

Vaati swerved, twirled, and reeled through the air, evading its flailing claw-tentacles. The creature was part of him, after all. He could sense its movement... He knew its every move. Fluidly, they moved togther through the sky, in more of an aerial dance than a battle. It jabbed, he swerved...it charged, he circled...it glared, and he glared back.

Vaati swooped lower and lower each time it passed him, brushing against its pounding wings. At last, he swooped low enough to make a landing on the top of its round body. The darkness rushed over his face, all over his body. Yet he felt mysteriously calm and focused.

The monster's eye turned up towards him. Its arms shot up at his spot, automatically, reaching around their own body. Vaati waited a bit...then broke away, into the air the instant before the claw connected. There was no noise, but the monster's eye squeezed closed when its claw sunk into its own backside. Vaati caught the other one in mid-air. The monster was so busy prying its other claw out its skin that it didn't notice. Vaati stuck it beside the other one. He held out his hand. The claw only had a moment to twitch...before it began to stiffen. The black skin began to turn gray. Its texture broke up and hardened. In only a few short moments, both claws had completely hardened into useless ornaments made of stone.

Vaati whipped his sword out--but then just let it drop from his hand. He'd need something much stronger for this.

The darkness wrapped around it again, cloaking it in its own element. Retreating to plot out its next move. And Vaati knew exactly what that next move would be.

He landed gently at the side of his unconscious friend again. Swiftly, he bent over and slipped Link's sword out of its sheath. It didn't feel heavy at all. He swung it through the air, testing its weight. Perfect. His pale hands caressed the edge of the blade, its smooth, metal edges cold as ice. And tiny blue sparks followed them. The sparks leaped across the metal, down the sword's entire length, and finally settled into the blade. The sword glowed from deep within--as if it had been given life. And just in time too.

_FWOOSH!!!_ The enormous, round creature flew forward out of the darkness with more strength and speed than it ever had before. Vaati had the sword clutched tightly in both of his hands. It stood out solidly in front of him, the magical energy crackling from its core.

And in just another short second, it was over. An incredible force slammed full-force against Vaati's body. He was pinned against the room's wall. But the sword was still in front of him. The pressure began to lessen. Vaati looked up.

Darkness--not blood--was seeping out of the puncture in the giant red eyeball before him. Great black streams slid down it, pooling into the air. The wings twitched. It fell back from his body.

Vaati squeezed his hand around the sword's sheath, and held it steady as the creature slipped off of its end. The sword was spotless.

The monster's wings twitched desperately, but they couldn't ever hope to hold up their massive body. It crashed to the floor. The wings twitched slowly...until, at last, they stiffened and grew as rigid as the stone claws.

Vaati dropped back to the ground beside it. In a gigantic explosion, the creature burst into bits of pure darkness. It diffused out into the air, merging with the existing darkness.

Immediately, Vaati flew to Link's side again. It was safe now. Everything was fine. They weren't going to die. He returned his sword to the sheath on his back, and pressed his hands to his wounds again. He forced the remainder of his healthy magical energy into Link's body...then leaned back and waited for it to take effect. He took a deep breath. An incredible feeling shivered throughout him.

_What...what just happened? _He could remember it clearly. He knew he had done it. Yet, during the entire battle, he hadn't once even stopped to think. It was as if his body had just...known what to do. He had known the right path...without even knowing it. _I did it_, he realized, for the first time. _I really did it_.

"Uhhhhrrggggg..." Finally, Link was beginning to wake up. He blinked his eyes and slowly, carefully, lifted an arm to grip the now tiny scratch at his side. He blinked again. "...Vaati?"

Vaati beamed with happiness and relief. "Yup, it's me. The monster's gone now. I healed you."

Link only stared harder at him in disbelief. He narrowed his eyes, suspiciously. "Are you sure you're not a hallucination?"

"Um...yeah..." Vaati reached out and touched his left hand. "Of course I'm not. I'm right here. See?"

Link's eyes just rolled around in utter confusion. He closed them for a moment, and opened them again, just to make sure. It wasn't working. "You've...you've got wings."

Vaati was completely stunned. "What?!" Had he just said _wings_?

"You've got wings," Link repeated, a little more sure of himself this time. "On your back."

Vaati pulled away. A suspicious flapping sound suddenly reached his ears. Slowly, reluctantly, he began to turn his head to look behind him. His body froze. A black, leathery bat wing flapped into his face.

"_Aaaaaaaaugh_!!!" Both wings flapped furiously as he shrieked and pressed tightly into the sides of his head. "No!!! No, it's happening!!! I'm transforming!!! Link, you've got to get out of here! But you can't--you're injured! _No_! _I-I don't want to hurt you_!!!"

"Hey." Link reached one arm up and rested it over his knee--the only thing he could reach. "Calm down. You're not transforming. You killed that monster, didn't you? You killed your darkness."

Vaati's wings gradually slowed. He let his hands fall away from his head and opened his eyes again. "I killed my darkness? What does that mean?"

With a grunt of exertion, Link managed to pull himself up into a sitting position. He lifted his arms into the air. The atmosphere began to congregate and solidify above his hand. Vaati watched in amazement as the darkness slipped away and gathered into the one tiny spot. The room began to gradually brighten as the darkness was drawn out of it. It was just a large room made entirely out of stone. And gradually, the stone was beginning to shine. It was so bright, it was almost blinding. It looked like Link and Vaati were sitting at the very center of a star. Light shot from around them. Again, you couldn't see the walls or ceiling at all. Something small and very dark black hovered above Link's hand.

Immediately, Vaati recoiled in shock. He squeezed his eyes closed and clenched his arms over his head for further protection. No. There was no way. He couldn't look at it. He'd be sucked in. That immeasurably dense, black void... If he looked directly at it, he'd be captured in its evil claws. He could cause devastating damage. Irreversible, unforgivable damage...

"Open your eyes." It was Link's voice. Closer to him now. Firm, demanding.

He desperately shook his head. Couldn't he see?! He was doing this for his own good! He was doing this to protect him! Did he want to be destroyed?!

"Come on..." Link urged again. His voice was so confident...so sure of its decision. "You can do it. You're strong now, Vaati. Much, much stronger. It's going to be fine."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"I know that. You know that. So you're not going to. Why would you?"

Vaati was beginning to tremble--but he understood what Link was saying. Even when under the influence of the darkness, he could control his own actions. He didn't want it. And he could break away from it. Slowly, he lowered his arms.

Link smiled a bit, though Vaati couldn't see, of course. "See? You're all right. Just open your eyes, Vaati."

And at last, he did. His eyelids rolled up...all the way up into his head. His widened eyes stared at the small object in awe. A ripple of shock passed through him, expecting the change. But nothing happened. Vaati stared straight into the Darkness Element. It was a series of pointy black triangles all pointing in over a circle--the opposite of the Light Element's star shape. It was like a star folded in on itself.

Vaati felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was the most wonderful feeling ever. Gradually, a smile grew and blossomed over his face. "I...I'm free."

Link smiled with him, and waved the Darkness Element a little in front of his face. "See?! I told you."

Vaati spilled over into wonderful, delighted giggles. Link's heart nearly exploded at the sight. He'd seen Vaati happy before...even elated...but nothing compared with the pure euphoria that was pouring out of him now. He'd never seen this sort of expression on him before.

"I...It...It feels like this giant weight has just lifted off of me and disappeared." Vaati placed a hand lightly over his chest as he continued to shudder and bubble with laughter. "It's...just gone. Like that." It was just as Link had said. He'd killed his darkness. All the fear, the guilt, and shame was gone. The war was over--he was finally at peace with himself.

Link reached out his other arm to wrap him up in it. He'd never felt such pride and satisfaction in his life. His hands slipped over one of Vaati's wings. The skin felt soft and strong at the same time. It flexed a little under his touch.

Vaati finally settled into a beaming smile and snuggled against him. "So..." he asked, after a silent, happy moment. "How are we going to get out of here? I can't see a thing."

Link still held the Darkness Element out with one hand. "Well...instead of using a light to find our way through the dark, we'll use a dark to find our way through the light."

As if he had summoned it, a portal started up around them--a circle of darkness beams surrounding them. Once again, two heart containers appeared in the center. Link closed his eyes in comfort and warmth as the container healed him the rest of the way and refilled his strength. Vaati gratefully accepted his, though he had no injuries. It only refilled his magic before spiraling away and disappearing.

Link scooped up his hat again, just before the darkness began to "shine" darker. At last, in one large output, the two of them were wrapped in a black beam, and the power pulled and transported them straight out of the dungeon.

(-)

There hadn't been much talk about the event all night. Both of them were still adjusting to the phenomenal changes. Vaati kept staring at his wings and feeling them, constantly reminding himself that they weren't just a figment of his imagination. Link was still dazed by what had happened to him, also wondering if it had all really happened. He _had _been unconscious for quite a while...and for some reason, he still had a headache.

As a result, they simply got themselves out of Royal Valley as quickly as possible and returned to one of their former campsites on the cliffs of Tribly Highlands. It wasn't until after breakfast the next morning that Vaati finally made an attempt to bring the subject up.

"So..." He looked, nervously up from the log he was sitting on. "I hate to ask you this, but...what happened before, when you fought my darkness?"

Link stopped in the midst of cleaning out his pack and looked up. "It wasn't _your_ darkness I fought--it was my own."

Vaati cocked his head and sat up straight to listen.

"You think the enemy was a giant eyeball-bat monster, but that was just the form the darkness took for you. It looked different when I fought it. In fact, it looked exactly like me. Except it was completely black with glowing red eyes."

Vaati gasped in disbelief. "I didn't even know you _could _have a dark side. You're a hero. You saved people's lives. You saved my life _twice_!"

"And you just saved _my _life," Link interrupted. "You've repaid me. And I think _everyone _had a dark side. Zelda has one, my grandpa has one, the King of Hyrule has one, Ezlo has one... Yours was just too powerful, so you had to do battle with it and overcome it in order to come to terms with it." Link took a deep breath. His face squeezed into a serious, concentrated scowl. "And you're not entirely alone in thinking I couldn't possibly have a dark side. I thought that too. I've been denying its existence. And that's probably why I couldn't defeat it."

The two of them lapsed into silence. Vaati wanted to offer some sort of encouraging advice, but he couldn't think of any. This was Link's own personal battle, and he couldn't give him any other kind of support. His own problems were solved, but now he'd have to help solve Link's.

"Alright, my turn," Link finally spoke up again. "What happened all that time I was unconscious?"

"Uh..." Vaati still couldn't exactly sort out everything that had happened. It was as if he'd been in a dream or some other alternate reality. "Well, that monster appeared, and I was kind of just dodging its attacks. Then I turned its arms to stone. I'm not really sure how I did that. When I turned Zelda to stone before, I was using the powers of the hat. But then..." He paused for a moment to try to remember. "Oh, yeah, I went down and borrowed your sword--I hope you don't mind--and put some kind of magic power in it. When the monster came charging at me, I stuck the sword into its eyeball. And then it exploded." He paused for a moment to finger his wings and try to think. "...I still don't remember these big, evil bat wings sprouting out of my back, but it must have happened before all that because it kind of felt like I was flying."

"Hey!" Link objected. "Don't call them evil. You're not evil."

Vaati crossed his arms, defiantly. "Well, I didn't grow angel wings, did I? No, I grew pointy black bat wings. The same kind of wings that monster has...the same kind of wings that came ripping out of my head. These are demon wings!" The wings suddenly seemed to sag and hang limp and heavy over the log he was sitting on.

"Stop that!" Link cried. "You're hurting their feelings!"

Vaati snorted a little and held in his laughter. "Now they have _feelings_?"

Even if the wings didn't have a mind of their own, they still betrayed the fact that Vaati really was making himself feel bad by saying those things. As much as he could arrange his other features to mask his thoughts, his wings always showed his true feelings.

"Just because they're bat wings doesn't mean they're evil. Bats aren't evil. Well, except for flaming keese, because I hate them. Remember what I told you about "evil laughter"? The same thing goes for wings. Wings themselves can't be evil." At last, Link couldn't resist, and moved behind Vaati to pet the wings. "I think they're really cute."

As soon as the word left his mouth, the thin, fuzzy wing under his hand began to perk up. Link ran his hand over it again, and it stretched further out, pushing into his palm. His smile just grew wider, and he moved over to give the other one some love.

After a moment, Vaati couldn't help but smile. It was a strange new tingling sensation, feeling Link's hand rubbing his wings. He was still getting used to using the nerves in these new appendages, and Link's rubs were making those nerves crackle to life. Suddenly, his wings twitched into a little spasm and shuddered back and forth.

Link quickly withdrew his hand and chuckled. "Hey! No flapping!"

"I can't help it. They just...do that sometimes."

Link moved back a little and sat on the ground next to him. His skin was buzzing with excited energy just from touching him. That terrible urge surged up again. But he knew what he could do this time. A devious smile twisted onto his face.

Vaati stared at him with wide, quizzical red eyes. Link crouched and prepared for the strike. His prey just gave him a "you're crazy" look. And then, he pounced.

Vaati toppled over the log and desperately pulled himself back up, shrieking in surprise. Link's fingers moved swiftly across his body--the most intense tickling he could muster. Vaati laughed so hard, tears were beginning to pool at the edges of his eyes...and best of all, his wings were fluttering furiously.

When Link finally pulled away, he was curled on the ground, his face bright pink, clutching his stomach, and trying to calm his fluttering heart and wings. _Oh my gosh, that is so adorable. _Link wished he had a pictograph box.

It took a while, but Vaati eventually got himself under control. He wiped his eyes and sat back on the log. "Yeah. I guess you're right. But I still wonder _why _these wings just sprouted out of my back. I've never felt them before. I didn't have a pain in my back or anything. It's weird."

Link shrugged. "You're just a big mystery. That's part of what makes you so fascinating."

The slight color left in Vaati's cheeks intensified. He should be used to these little sweet compliments by now, but they had a much greater meaning now that he knew Link loved him. He had told him he was beautiful plenty of times in the past, but now, when he said he was beautiful, the words had a whole other dimension to them. "You're beautiful" also meant "I love you".

As much as Link wanted to continue on and see what else Vaati's new expressive wings could do, he restrained himself for now. They proceeded to pack up their things and prepare to move out again.

But before leaving, Link had another little training session on the schedule. Once the area was clear, he pulled out his sword and turned towards Vaati. Reading the signs, Vaati reached to pull out his own sword and prepare for his training...but the sword unexpectedly flew out of his hand the moment he yanked it out of his sheath. He muttered in frustration and bent over to retrieve it.

As Link watched him, he suddenly remembered one part of what he had told him. "Hey...didn't you say that when you were fighting, you used my sword?"

"Yeah, and I put magic inside it. It's probably all gone now, though."

Link lifted his sword's blade with his right hand and held it out towards Vaati. "Use this. I'll just demonstrate with yours. It's time you started using a _real_ sword."

Link's sword felt unusally comfortable in Vaati's hands. He swiped it again, just making sure that he wasn't imagining things. The sword had gotten so much lighter, though it really wasn't lighter at all. Vaati was stronger.

He could perform almost all of the basic attacks using Link's sword. The jump attack and the spin attacks were a little more difficult, but he'd just have to get used to the different weight. Vaati actually discovered that he'd been deliberately using less force with the light, manufactured sword in order to keep it from flying off. Both his body and soul had been building up and becoming stronger without him even noticing. The culmination of Link's efforts was at last at hand.

(-)

He could make them disappear. Vaati discovered this trick sometime that afternoon when suddenly, he looked behind him to notice that his wings were gone. The little slits that had been cut in the back of his tunic to allow them to poke out had magically closed themselves up. This confirmed one of Link's theories that Vaati's wings were a new extension of his magic. He spent the rest of the day figuring out how to make them appear and disappear at his will. It took a few tries until he could channel the magic flow correctly.

And, to Link's utter delight and fascination, Vaati's wings instinctually protected him.

Right now, as they were settling down to go to sleep, Vaati was curled up next to him...and his wings were folded and curled around his body like a fuzzy black cocoon. He looked just like an adorable, sleepy, purple bat.

Link lied down next to him and reached out. The only problem with this was that he couldn't hug him and cuddle him while he was in bat-cocoon mode...or maybe not.

When Link reached forward towards his body, his eyes opened, and his wings lifted and folded open, allowing him access. It was one of the most breathtaking sights Link had ever taken in... Vaati emerging from his wrapped-up wings as if from among the petals of a blooming flower. The protective outer layer fell away to reveal its precious center.

Link gently cupped Vaati's face in his hands and placed another kiss on its cheek. He flushed for a moment, and his wings flapped back as he moved closer to wrap his arms around him. Link fell to caressing his neck and shoulders, while brushing his hair, as he always did, and Vaati leaned his head expectantly against his shoulder.

And then, before he knew it, Link found _himself_ wrapped in those fuzzy black wings as well. They reached over, folding around his body and bringing him closer. Link closed his eyes to savor this wonderful feeling. And again, they slowly drifted off to sleep in each others arms. Only this time, they didn't need a blanket.

(-)

"Where are we going anyway?"

Link froze in his tracks, suddenly aware of that very question. "Um...well...I don't even know!"

Vaati stopped at the edge of the river and stared into it.

Link stepped next to him and began to dig through his pack. One by one, he pulled out the elements they'd acquired. "Metal...Electricity...Light...Darkness. That's all of them!" Link was stricken with the fact that he hadn't even noticed this before. "That's it! We've done it! We've got all the Secondary Elements!"

Vaati's mind boggled as he tried to think back to their initial meeting about this quest. That was so long ago. Of course, it also didn't help that Link was shaking him in excitement.

Slowly, Link's shaking stopped. He pulled away, as Vaati just continued staring blankly into the air. No. Not again. "Hey, Vaati!" he called, waving a hand in front of his face. "Vaati! Snap out of it!!!"

Immediately, Vaati turned back to look at him and blinked in confusion. "Yeah? I'm fine--I was just thinking."

"Well, you had me worried for a bit. You could've been having an attack."

The fact was beginning to dawn on Vaati for the first time. He'd felt it, but never actually realized the full effects. "No," he told him, firm and sure. "That's over."

Link's eyes widened. "Your attacks are over?! Really?! How can you tell? How can you be sure that you'll never have another one again?"

Vaati took a deep breath and let the feeling fill him up. He couldn't really describe it. It felt...settled...calm...serene. "I don't really know how I know, but I'm sure. They're not going to be coming back. They don't frighten me anymore. It went away after I defeated the monster."

Link recalled that beautiful, radiant expression of peace that had passed over Vaati's face at that moment. He'd said that he'd felt a great weight lifted off of him. His inner emotional and magical turbulence disintegrating--the source of his attacks dissolving away. Link believed him.

He grinned. "Didn't I tell you? I said that someday you'd be able to get rid of your attacks. And you didn't believe me. Now look at you!" He leaped over to playfully ruffle Vaati's hair. His wings, which happened to be out at the moment, flapped a little in surprise.

"So um..." he spoke up again after Link pulled away. "What were we talking about?"

Link had to pause and try to remember himself. "Oh, yeah! We've got all the Secondary Elements! Where should we be going next?"

"Oh..." Vaati frowned in thought. "I was thinking about it. We need to bring the Secondary Elements to the Elemental Sanctuary in order to fuse them into the Holy Sword...I think. I'm not even sure if we _can_ do that using the Elemental Sanctuary. And I have no idea _how_ we're going to get back into the Elemental Sanctuary. I know the entrances work with our artificially replicated allowing essence, but I have no idea if it would work with the Door..."

Link was completely lost. Just trying to concentrate and make some sence of his last sentence was making his headache worse. "Er...could you repeat that in Hylian?"

Vaati's eyes suddenly lit up. "I remember! Ezlo said that he would try to figure out how to open the Elemental Sanctuary while we were out gathering the elements. We need to go back and visit him!"

"We're going back to your house?" Link asked, excitedly. There were so many strange objects scattered around Ezlo's house, and he'd never gotten to examine them all. He wanted to go through all of Vaati's possessions...but Vaati would never let him do that.

"And we need to get there quickly too. Remember what Siroc said about the man in the black robe? He's gaining power, and pretty soon, he'll be strong enough to take over the castle from inside."

Oh well--there went that prospect. Link had forgotten that itty bitty detail. Whoever this villain was, he didn't seem very threatening. Nothing had happened yet. But maybe that was just because he was waiting for the perfect moment to launch his surprise attack.

"I wonder _why_ he would be gaining power, though," Vaati continued musing. "Does he know about the Light Force? How _would _he know about the Light Force? Unless he got into the Elemental Sanctuary somehow..."

"Well, we've got to find out!" Link cried, impatiently. For some reason, when he thought about the man in the black robe, his head throbbed. It was driving him nuts. "But your house is so far away... We'd have to go through town again..."

A mysterious smile spread over Vaati's face.

"I don't really want to go through town again. We'd have to disguise you and all that. I wish we could just teleport to your house or something..."

The grin widened, and Link finally noticed it. He froze. "Oh no. No, no, don't you even think about it. No way. There's just _no way_..."

(-)

Link held his breath and squeezed Vaati's hands for dear life. Vaati was flying swiftly above the town's perimeter towards the south section, dangling him by the hands.

"How are you doing down there?"

There was no answer from the stricken hero, but Vaati knew he was fine. He'd probably refuse to talk to him until they were back on solid ground.

Link's bulging eyes followed the little dots of monsters and the green triangles of trees below him. Oh, gosh, that looked painful. Not even a roll trick would be able to save him from this height. "C-Can't you go a little lower?" he begged the winged sorcerer above him.

"I don't want anyone to see us."

"Well, you could just make us invisible!"

"It's taking up enough magic energy just to make you light enough for me to carry! And besides, I need to have some left to do the shrinking!"

Link shivered. No. No more flying after this. He should never have let him convince him that it would be safe. He closed his eyes for the rest of the journey. The light whooshing noises of Vaati's beating wings echoed through the darkness.

At last, he began to feel something brushing against his feet. He opened them again to see tree branches surrounding him. Vaati gently descended, placing Link back onto the ground, and landing gracefully next to him.

"No more flying." The first words out of Link's mouth.

Vaati made sad puppy eyes at him. "Aww, but flying is just so much fun! C'mon...what's the use of having wings when you're not allowed to fly?"

"_You _can fly all you want, but you're not taking me with you."

"But it gets lonely flying up there all by myself!"

"Now you're just making excuses."

Their playful argument went on for another ten minutes, including much tickling and hair-touseling.

"We're wasting time," a slightly frazzled-looking Vaati finally realized. "C'mon, let's go find the entrance."

_Ah, but that was so much fun! _Link thought. _Oh...but we have to do the shrinking sequence! _He felt unusually excited at the prospect. The last time Vaati had had to shrink had been way back during their stay at Hyrule Castle, and that time, he hadn't gotten to come with him. He missed seeing a half-naked Vaati enulfed in little sparkles singing like an angel. Suddenly, he wondered if his wings would come through the transformation with him. Well, it appeared that he was about to find out.

Vaati still made him wait behind some bushes while he undressed, and when he emerged again, he still had his wings out. "Um..." Vaati clutched the little vial of sparkles as they stepped onto the stump together. "Please make sure you...um...k-keep your hands to yourself. And don't look for me, okay? I'm going to be fine."

Link stared at him, curiously. Weird--he'd always been perfectly comfortable being around him in this state. _Great...is it because of my stupid love confession? _"Of course," Link reassured him. "I'd never do anything that would make you uncomfortable. Do you want me to blindfold myself? If it would help you to feel better..."

"No, no." Vaati still looked a little unsettled, but didn't want to go to those lengths. "It's okay. You won't... Never mind."

As Vaati spread the essence over the log, lifted Link's hand, and began the incantation, Link thought back to the first time they'd shrunken on this very same stump. He found himself chuckling at his actions. He'd been so confused and oblivious to his feelings. Though it had only been about two months since then, he felt so much older now. More experienced.

He closed his eyes to listen to Vaati's sweet alto voice. Then, the transformation began, and he felt the familiar old sensation of painless pressure...then, the springy connections with each mushroom. Once Link reached the bottom, he stepped out the hole in the stump's roots and waited for Vaati to finish changing.

Two minutes later, a purple picori with bright red eyes stood in front of him. And a pair of little black bat wings emerged from the leaves on the back of his robe. He smiled and looked behind him. "I was wondering of I still had these wings as a picori. I guess they're really a new part of my body now."

Link grinned back. "And that is what a Wind Picori looks like."

Vaati paused, thoughtfully. "Strange. Normally, I get tired out when I take you with me through an entrance. I feel perfectly fine now. I'm not tired at all."

"You're stronger magically as well," Link explained. "That's great. All that passing out wasn't good for you."

Vaati chuckled. "I bet you got sick of having to support me. Gee, I _did _pass out a lot back then, huh?"

"Nah, I would never get sick of being with you."

It was one of those little lovey-dovey comments again. Though Vaati appreciated them very much, they still made him a bit uneasy.

_I've got to see Ezlo_, he thought. _I need to tell him about this. Though he wouldn't really be a good source of advice on romance--he never got married. ...Would he even _approve_ of this? I know it's not really... Link doesn't know that. Everyone else wouldn't either. What if he decided to release me?! _Vaati couldn't live with that thought. He'd have to bring the subject up gently, at a time when Link wasn't around.

It didn't take long to reach the little tree stump-house now that Vaati was conscious. As they approached, Vaati made his wings disappear again. "I won't spring these on Ezlo so soon," he replied, with a little smile. "I don't want to give him a heart attack."

Link chuckled. "But wait until he sees how much stronger you've become. You're going to completely shock him!"

Vaati giggled and stepped up to the doormat. That was right! He was going to be so proud of him!

He turned the handle, but the door didn't open. Weird. Ezlo didn't usually lock the door. Maybe he'd gotten afraid now that he was living alone again. Vaati slipped a little jolt of magic into the center of the knob to unlock it. And then, with an eager, triumphant smile, he finally flung the door open.

He froze.

Link stepped up next to him when he realized that he wasn't moving. His eyes widened.

Vaati's brow knitted in pure confusion at the sight before him. There was only one word capable of expressing this situation.

"...What?!"


	9. Destruction

So I decided to do it. I split the story I intended to be Chapter 9 (Vision) into two seperate chapters. The first part, here, I named Destruction, the second part, Chapter 10, will retain the title of Vision. I like long chapters, yes, but sometimes, they can be too long. I didn't make this decision to get more reviews, or because I'm being lazy--when I read over the 43-page chapter myself, I was getting bored of it. Forty pages is just too much--too much is happening within the space of a single chapter. So I cut it in two. This division may leave you a little confused and frustrated, especially with Vaati's strange behavior. But I still think it's for the better. Enjoy it! (And don't worry, there will be a chapter 11 too).

And so I had to find the best place to make the division and end this chapter. So I chose the worst place! If you thought I was evil last time... You're about to see how evil I can _really _be! But don't make your murder plans now... the next chapter (part 2 of Vision) shall be out very soon, since it's already written (I just need to put it through formatting and final edits). See you there!

I own Dr. Menda! And that's all!

(-)

Chapter 9: Destruction

Four picori stared up at them. And none of them were Ezlo. The first three were town picori in various colored robes, and the fourth was a forest picori, smaller than the others and with a long white feather tail. They stared up at Vaati. Vaati stared back at them.

"What the heck are you all doing here?!"

Link was shocked at his forwardness. He'd never been so blunt with people before.

The picori didn't answer. Apparently, they too were completely shocked at their appearance. Their mouths hung open. They looked at each other, nervously.

After a moment, Vaati lit up with a realization. "Oh! You're customers, aren't you?! Ezlo went off somewhere and completely forgot about you, didn't he? That's just like him." He marched forward into the house at last, heading for the large rack of potions in the back of the room. "Just hang on, I'll get your..."

"We're not customers," the town picori wearing blue finally interrupted him.

Vaati whirled on him. "So what are you?" he asked. "Visitors? Friends? I can't believe that he forgot that friends were coming over, but I wouldn't put it past him."

"Um...the door was locked," Link pointed out as he stepped into the room next to him. He didn't seem to be listening.

The room fell terribly silent. The four picori looked at each other again. "Do _you_ want to tell him?" one of the town picori whispered. "_Someone's _got to do it," the forest one replied.

"Tell me what?" Vaati spoke up above them. "I can hear you, you know."

The picori just continued their own deliberations, completely ignoring him. "Well, it's a good thing we've got the inventory done."

"You knew this was going to happen eventually."

"Yeah, but I've just never really been good at this."

"What if he doesn't believe us?"

"It doesn't matter--he needs to know."

"No use dragging it out any longer."

As he listened in on their conversation, a terrible, chilling feeling began to crawl through Link's body. He didn't like the sound of this at all.

"Will _someone_ tell me what's going on?!" Vaati snapped in frustration.

Link lifted his arms in concern. "Vaati..."

The picori in red sighed. Finally, he turned around and offered Vaati a small smile. "Well...welcome back. We're very grateful for your return. This house _is _rightfully yours..."

"You're damn right it's my house!"

Link reeled in shock at the curse word. To hear something like that come out of timid little picori Vaati's mouth...

He gestured fiercely at the door. "And I want you out of it! Now!"

The red picori held up his hands, trying desperately to calm him. "We assure you, we're not trespassing and we mean you no harm..."

Vaati clenched his hands, testily. "I'm going to find Ezlo--he'll tell me the truth about you!" He marched forward, knocking the picori out of the way and making his way up the staircase to the second floor. "Ezlo! Ezlo?!"

Link watched him leave, the feeling growing and spreading inside of him. No. This couldn't be happening. Everything was going so perfectly...

The picori turned their attention to him now that Vaati had left. They gave him soft, questioning glances. Link looked into their twinkling little black eyes and knew they were sincere. He had to find out. He had to confirm the very thing he was dreading.

"Ezlo..." he asked, his voice a tiny whisper. "Did he...?"

The forest picori looked directly into his face. His expression contained a deep sorrow and sympathy. His eyes were wide and clear. And then...he bowed his head.

Link could barely breathe. He shifted slightly over to take in the staircase. He broke into a desperate sprint. The picori parted, allowing him access, and followed him with their gazes.

Link flew up the stairs, clattering their wooden beams. "_Vaati_!" When he reached the top, he could see a little purple splotch on the left. "_Vaati_!!!" Link swooped into the room, the world whirling in blurry brown pastels all around him.

Vaati stood at the very center of the hollow, empty room, his back turned to gaze out the single circular window. He was the only thing that mattered. He was supposed to be there! He was supposed to protect him!

Link swept his shoulders into his hands. After a moment, Vaati hesitantly turned his head to look at him. Shining tears gathered below his brilliant red eyes.

"Link...?" he asked, his voice a tiny whisper of a squeak. "...Where's Ezlo?"

He had never held him as tight as he did then.

(-)

"So other picori have been trying to claim some of this stuff, and we've been holding the fort down for his return. They already cleared out the bedroom, as you can see, but we've made sure to hang onto all the personal documents and magical items, because we knew he'd probably want them. It's disgusting what they're saying to try to get in on the action. It's all about the money these days. I hate to tell you, but some of them were even claiming that he wasn't fit to be the heir, and that they should take his place."

Link nodded, lifelessly. "Yeah. I can imagine."

The red and green-clothed town picori were lawyers, the blue-clothed one was a banker, and the forest picori was a doctor. That much Link knew. Everything else was a complete blur.

How...? Why...? What...?

"How...?" The word slipped out of his mouth. They couldn't ever tell him why or what, so this would have to do for now.

Somehow, they knew exactly what he meant. "Oh, it was very peaceful. He was just in his bed...just sleeping. He just never woke up. He _was _getting rather old, even for us picori. We don't normally live too long past a hundred. He was a hundred eleven. Probably because of all that magic inside him."

Link managed a small smile at that fact. One-one-one. It was a nice number. He stared past the picori on the other side of the workbench and focused on the potion cabinets against the wall. It just didn't seem true. How could Ezlo be...just gone? He remembered when he'd had to say good-bye to him before. He thought he'd never see him again. But at least he knew that time that Ezlo was still out there somewhere...that he could hear him and see him. But now...

Link tried to choke back the tears constricting into a heavy, stabbing ball just below his voicebox. He had to be strong. He had to remain calm. For Vaati's sake.

The picori were saying something again--probably about the leftover belongings and their worth--but their voices were just buzzing in the background. Vaati. He'd been in his bedroom all day. After they finally released each other, he'd just run away into his room, and he hadn't come out since. Not even for lunch or dinner. Link really couldn't blame him--he hadn't eaten much himself. How could he? It was just impossible. Nothing mattered anymore.

"Well, until the whole matter is settled, we're going to have to stay here. We can't be taking any chances."

"We'd like to talk things over, but we understand that it's a bad time..."

Be strong...strong...for Vaati... Vaati... Link's eyes settled back onto the four picori again. "I'm going to see Vaati."

The picori looked at each other again. Link just completely ignored them. It didn't matter what they thought--what their expert psychological knowledge was on the stages of grief. Link was just too worried.

Vaati needed him right now...just as much as he'd needed him back in the beginning. Despite how strong he'd grown over the past months under Link's protection, he was rendered helpless once again. Link felt terrible. He was supposed to protect him from such devastation. But there were some things he just couldn't protect him from.

He rose abruptly and whirled away from the table. The room was nothing but a great big swirling blur again.Determinedly, he began to climb the stairs. He had to see him. No matter what.

Vaati's door was closed, but not locked. Link only gave a small knock of warning before stepping in. The limp picori was lying straight on his bed, facing the wall, and he didn't even turn around at the sound of someone entereing his room. Link could almost feel the thick, heavy depression in the air. "Vaati..."

No response.

"I...I know you must be feeling terrible. Really terrible. I'm awfully saddened too. I-It's nothing compared to your grief, but... You shouldn't lock yourself up here all by yourself. You're only going to make yourself worse by skipping meals like this. I understand your reluctance because Ezlo... Well because Ezlo's...you know."

"Dead."

Link's mouth froze and immediately clamped shut. Vaati was still facing the wall. His voice was so...cold. It sounded hard. Not really angry...but something close to anger. That one word he'd spoken had been so soft. Hard and soft at the same time.

"Dead," he repeated, a little louder, more sure of himself. And finally, he pulled his body up and around to sit on his round knees and glare into Link's face. That expression...Link remembered it, suddenly. Anger...frustration...but all underlined by some deep-set anguish. Such an expression seemed out-of-place on the round, squashy face of a picori.

"Ezlo's dead! It's true, isn't it?! Why don't you just say it?!"

Link was struck dumb again. He hadn't even realized himself that he'd been avoiding saying the word "dead". It just seemed...natural. He was trying to deny it...or at least try to soften the facts a little. He thought he'd been doing it to help comfort Vaati...but in reality, it had just been making it worse. "I...I'm sorry," he spoke up. "It's...it's true. Ezlo's dead."

Silence. Complete, utter silence. Vaati's hard expression was dissolving and melting into a familiar, pure sorrow. His long, thin arms wrapped themselves around his tiny torso and held on tight. Tears were beginning to trickle down his pointy nose again. "N-No, I'm sorry," he choked out. "I...I keep yelling at people. I can't believe I yelled at those lawyers like that. They probably think I'm still violent and hateful. Pleas tell them I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay!" Link rushed to his side, though he abstained from hugging him, in case he didn't want to be touched right now. "You have a perfect right to be angry and yell at people. You're going through terrible emotional pain. They understand. I bet they've already forgiven you." Link wondered why Vaati was worrying and crying over something so seemingly insignificant. That shouldn't matter at all. There was no problem to cry over.

Vaati's crying didn't stop. Link couldn't hold off anymore and sat gently beside him to soothingly rub his back for him. He'd do anything to try to make him feel better. Anything to ease some of that terrible pain. Vaati couldn't speak, and for a few minutes, they just sat there in silence. At last, he was able to catch his breath again...and his real reason for crying came streaming out of his mouth.

"I...I wanted to talk to him again. I needed to talk to him again. I just...I wanted to make him proud of me. I didn't want him to have to live the rest of his life in shame...of what I had done. I...I wanted to make everything up to him. I just wish I had gotten a chance! He didn't have to die in shame of what he had produced... I...I never got to tell him...everything that happened. I never got to tell him...I loved him."

Link just wrapped him up again in his warm, protective arms. He wished there was something else he could do. He was prepared to do anything--he'd go up into picori heaven and personally drag Ezlo's spirit back to Earth if he had to. Anything just to get Vaati to smile again. Link tried to find something comforting to say, but after a while, he found it best to say nothing at all. The hug said enough for itself. And slowly, it would work its way into Vaati's soul and soothe him.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Vaati's tears had dried...though he just looked tired and drained. Link ran his hands down his shoulders and his arms a few times, then finally pulled away. Maybe now he'd at least come down to have something to eat.

"I'm not going down there," Vaati spoke up again, as if reading Link's thoughts. "Not now. I don't want to see them. Just...leave me for now. I'll be okay."

Link seriously doubted that...but perhaps a little more time alone would help him a little. He gave him one last little kiss on the cheek for reassurance. "Okay. Whatever you want. Get some sleep. I'll come back to see you again tomorrow morning."

Vaati just nodded, limply and slipped back down into his former reclining position facing the wall.

Link took a soft, deep breath, and focused himself to pull away. He wished he could stay there. He wished he could hold Vaati in his arms forever until he was healed. But it would be much longer and more difficult than that. _He _will _heal_, Link thought, determinedly, as he stepped out of the doorway again, giving him a quick backwards glance. _It's going to take quite a while...but eventually, I know he will heal. _

(-)

Link found himself facing what he now knew was the worst night of his life. He couldn't sleep. There was just no way.

He was lying on his little cot in the corner of the main workroom. The picori proffesionals had agreed to sleep outside in order to give him a bit of privacy...but that was only making the situation worse. Now Link was completely alone...with his thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about Ezlo...and about Vaati...and to top it all off, he had another throbbing headache.

Looking up at the ceiling only made him think about Vaati, who was on that floor above him right now. All the anguish he was in. It was like he had just lost his father--the only person he'd ever had. Link couldn't even begin to imagine that pain. Not only had Ezlo been Vaati's only parent, he'd been his only friend...the only one he cared about, and the only one who cared about him. Before they'd gotten to know each other, of course. Link was amazed to realize what a significant role he played in Vaati's life.

He missed him terribly. He wanted to joke around with him, tickle him, and see his smiling face again... He felt so cold and uncomfortable without Vaati lying next to him. This was the first time they'd slept separately for almost a month. No. There was no way he could sleep without him. So Link turned over onto one of his sides, looking away from the ceiling.

Oh no. That was even worse. Those potion bottles lined the back wall in their little slots. Link could remember standing there...not so long ago, it seemed, helping Ezlo shelf and label them. He'd been asking him all sorts of different things about them, and he was always happy to answer... He remembered seeing him laugh once when he'd asked a ridiculous question. Link forced his face into a determined frown. _No. I can't... It's not fair. Compared to Vaati, I have nothing to cry about. _He turned over again, defiantly.

No...now it was the long workbench beside the potion cabinets. It was so clean--only a few pieces of paper and little magical trinkets lay organized in one corner. No, it was supposed to be messy. It was always a great big mess. There should be papers everywhere, quills dripping ink onto the floor, bits of stale bread poking out in the corner, soggy old sandwiches... _Uugh..._ He remembered yelling at him when he'd discovered it. _No...I can't look at that..._ Link turned over a third time.

And this time, it stood clearly before him on the next table. Ezlo's long, wooden bird staff. Now it was just lying here in waiting for the day when Vaati would take it up. Link could almost feel the presence of the old picori sage hovering around it...no...the little bird-hat creature. His squabbling voice echoed back through his head. All those times...riding in the mine cart togather...using him as a parachute...arguing over little things...learning the truth about what had happened...even when they had first met each other in Minish Woods. It felt like so long ago. And then, when Ezlo had returned to the picori world. He'd given him the de-powered hat...the hat he still wore now. _"Link...going on an adventure with you...I really enjoyed it". _

It was just no use. He couldn't hold it in anymore. Link finally just gave up fighting and let the tears spill down his cheeks. He closed his eyes, trying to blank it all out. _Ezlo..._ He curled his body up into a tight ball, clutching the long green-colored hat to his chest. And eventually, he fell asleep just like that--the tears still flowing.

(-)

Link only felt half-alive the next morning. He blearily and lifelessly made his way up the stairs towards Vaati's room, carrying a small plate of breakfast. Goodness...if this was the kind of night he had had, what kind of night must _Vaati_ have had? He knocked on the door gently and opened it without a sound. Just as he had suspected, the purple picori was wide awoke.

"Good morning," Link mustered up. "Did you sleep at all last night? I know I had a hard time. I bet you've been crying again...your eyes look red." Suddenly, the fact hit him, and Link managed a weak laugh. "Ah...hih...that's right. Your eyes are always red."

Vaati managed a tiny, half-hearted smile. "Good...morning."

Link moved closer to the bed and carefully set the plate he was carrying onto the bed in front of him. "Here. I brought you some breakfast. It's a blueberry. You like blueberries. I cut it up in pieces for you, so you don't have to eat the whole thing if you don't want to."

Vaati ended up eating less than half of it. He mostly just pushed the gooey blue pieces around the plate with his finger. Link remained silent for a long while, just watching him nibble, until finally, he thought he should say something.

"Uh...well, I've still got a headache. How are you feeling?"

Vaati's poking slowed to a stop. "Well...I didn't sleep at all. But I'm not tired. I don't...really feel anything." That was understandable. Vaati had been under such emotional stress, it was normal that he felt emptied.

"Yeah..." Link hesitantly began to agree. "I was downstairs in the workshop all night alone, and I couldn't stop thinking about him. It was terrible." He prayed that a statement like that wouldn't trigger an outburst of anguish. It didn't. Vaati just began to poke at the pieces of blueberry again. "And...and I was thinking about you too," Link added. "I was worrying about you. You know...how I worry about you. I know I shouldn't, but...I kinda...missed you."

Slowly, after a silent pause, Vaati nodded. "I guess I missed you too."

And before either of them knew it, they somehow ended up in each others' arms. Link had wrapped his arms around Vaati's waist, and Vaati's arms were around Link's neck.

Vaati was beginning to shudder, gently. "It was just too soon. How could he leave me like this? There was still so much that needed to be done. Things that needed to be said, and mended... He didn't even get to finish my training. How am I supposed to take over his position? I don't know anything..."

Link had almost forgotten. There was also that to contend with. How was Vaati supposed to deal with all of this at once?

Nothing more was said for a long time. Vaati's body continued to shake lightly, though it didn't look like he was actually crying. Link figured that he was trying to hold it in, and he rubbed his back repeatedly, trying to get him to release it. When Vaati finally spoke again, it was nothing like what Link expected.

"Link..." he began, softly, his voice trembling a little. "Do you like boys?"

This was such a strange, spontaneous question that Link was momentarily stunned. "Uh...do I like boys? Well...you're a boy. So I guess I do."

Vaati's trembling didn't slow a bit. His grip around Link's neck began to loosen a little.

"Actually..." Link thought the question over. "I don't even know if I could answer that question. I don't like 'boys' or 'girls'. I just like you. If you were a girl, I'd love you just as much."

The grip tightened again.

After a few more minutes, they separated, and Link began to head towards the door.

"No, wait!"

Link turned back around to see Vaati's long, skinny picori arm reaching out towards him. The sight shocked him.

"I...I feel a little better when you're around," Vaati admitted. And an instant later, he was back in the warm, enveloping hold of Link's arms.

Suddenly, Link got an idea and pulled away for a moment to search through the sack at his waist. Vaati stared over back at him in confusion. Finally, Link's hand closed around something soft and fuzzy and pulled it out. "Ah, look what I've got." A little white stuffed bird.

At last, a tiny smile spread over Vaati's face. "Filbert Jr.!" Link placed the stuffed Cucco into his arms and he squeezed it, tightly. Link pressed a hand over the top of his head.

After a while, Vaati began to slip downwards against his chest and he helped him along. "I'm...so tired," he finally realizing, closing his eyes.

"That's good," Link told him, rubbing his shoulders again. "You're beginning to realize it. You need to catch up on your sleep from yesterday. Just relax..."

At last, Vaati lied completely down on his side, squeezing the Cucco in his arms. Link draped the bed's blanket over him. He buried his face into the soft side of the stuffed animal. His eyes flickered open to make sure Link was still there. "D-Don't go anywhere, okay?"

"Okay, I promise." And so he stayed right there, on the very edge of Vaati's bed, just waiting. That was all the distressed little picori needed. Link's very presence seemed to soothe and comfort him. Slowly, softly, he began to feel calm...and protected. _I'm right here, Vaati_, Link mentally spoke to him, _everything's okay now_. He felt like a mother with a child who had just had a nightmare. He'd stay here, right by his side, until he fell asleep.

Gradually, Vaati's breath became deeper and more rythmic. He watched his slanted sides rising and falling, gently...peacefully. Link smiled and fought to quell the urge to brush Vaati's hair. The last thing in the world he wanted right now was to wake him up. He had to settle with kneeling down next to his face and staring into that finally calm, settled expression.

All of a sudden, Vaati's wings appeared again, even underneath the covers, and slipped around his body, curling into their cocoon. They wanted to help too...they wanted to protect him and keep him close so he could heal. Link's smile only grew wider. He would heal.

"Sweet dreams, my Vaati," he finally whispered, before he finally stood back up again and made his way to the door.

(-)

Despite what Link had thought had been an improvement, he was once again banished to the workshop downstairs for the night. Vaati still didn't really feel comfortable sleeping next to Link, and so he agreed to go back down and sleep on his cot for the night. He still couldn't understand why. He'd thought his presence comforted him and made him feel better.

However, that night, Link had requested that the picori lawyers sleep in the house with him, because he couldn't sleep when he was in the room alone. Thankfully, he was able to fall asleep without crying, though it wasn't an entirely comfortable sleep. He tried to assure himself that things were getting better. Soon, they'd both be able to heal and move on. They'd be able to be together again...and things would get back to normal. After all, Vaati had seemed much better yesterday.

Eventually, Link lulled himself into a feeling of hope and security. And in one short minute, everything that he had built up was destroyed.

Link was wrenched out of his sleep by a sudden explosion--a terrible high-pitched scream. It took him a moment to recognize it. His eyes popped wide open. "..._Vaati_!!!"

In an instant, he was on his feet and flying up the staircase again. The picori lawyers awoke and followed him with bleary eyes.

"_Vaati_!!!" The hallway zoomed past, as if he was in some sort of high speed tunnel. Suddenly, the end sprang up in front of him. The door. It was still closed. He hadn't heard that scream again...but it didn't matter! Something terrible could've happened!!!

"_Vaaaaaaaaaaa-teeeee_!!!"

"D-DON'T COME IN!!!"

Link wrenched his body into a stop just in front of the wooden door, his heart pounding furiously and his face bright red. Once again, it took him a moment to figure out what was going on. _Don't come in...Vaati doesn't want me to come in. Why doesn't he want me to come in?! He was just screaming!_

"V-Vaati..." he called, trying to calm down a little. "What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"J-Just go away!!!" Vaati's voice was trembling as it yelled out...wavering. It sounded like he was crying. It sounded like he was choking on his tears as he tried to raise his voice.

Link clenched his fists. Fear, anxiety, and pure determination rooted him solidly to his spot. "Vaati...I'm not going _anywhere _until I know that you're okay. Now tell me what's going on!"

"I'm fine!" Vaati shouted, again choking a bit. "Just...j-just go away! Get everyone out of the house! You have to do it! Now! Please!"

_Get everyone out of the house? What the heck...? _"Vaati, I don't know what's happened to you, but I already told you, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me!"

"_Please_!" His cry roared out, twisted and warped with anguish...deeper and higher, from the bottom of his straining throat. He fell into shuddering coughs of pain immediately afterward.

Link's eyes gored into the door in front of him. He could see every individual wood grain. His mind's eye saw Vaati, hunched on the floor, quivering with pain, his body coated with sweat and his face drenched in tears. His hair frazzled and sticking up like some sort of animal. It reminded him of that time at the castle when he'd had his most potent attack. He'd said those were over...

"Vaati..." Link gently asked, after a moment. "Did you have an attack again?"

Vaati was silent now...even his coughing had tapered off. He whispered something, but Link only caught the word "time". Then, he lapsed back into silence. A calm period right after the storm.

After about five minutes, Link sighed and sat down on the floor in front of the door. _Eventually, he'll have to come out. I'll just have to sit here all day until he does. I wish Vaati would just tell me what's bothering him. He always used to do that--keep his troubles all locked up inside. But he'd been getting better...he'd tell me if he wasn't feeling well, or if something was worrying him. What could've happened? Well, maybe he'll come around eventually...if I give him a while to calm down. He did when he was worried about the boss battle for Darkness..._

And so, Link tried to calm his racing heart and make himself comfortable. All of a sudden, his stomach rumbled, and he scowled. _Geez...I wake up, and this is the first thing I have to deal with? I didn't even get to eat breakfast! Guess I'm going to be skipping today. _

A half-hour slowly crawled past. Link was beginning to fall back asleep, leaning his head back against the door. Just as he was beginning to doze off, he heard a small voice somewhere above his head.

"Uh...um, Link? Are you still out there?"

Instantly, he snapped back to complete consciousness and sprang up around to face the door, on his knees. "Vaati?!"

"Um...I think it's okay. I think it's... I don't think I'm... I think I'm okay now. You don't have to worry."

Link blinked, slightly confused. "Can I come in now?"

"Not now."

"When?"

"...I don't know."

"You don't know?!" Link was just about fed up with this. He got to his feet again and seized the door handle. "Well, I don't care! I'm coming in!" He yanked it around...and it didn't move. Vaati had locked the door. He exhaled, frustratingly. _He's being stubborn again..._

There was the light shuffling noise of Vaati moving around inside.

"Vaati!" Link called in to him. "Come on. You have to come out _sometime_. If you're fine now, how come you still won't let me see you? Huh?"

No answer.

He knocked hard against the door. "Vaati?!"

Nothing. Dang stubborn little picori.

Link sighed. He just couldn't win, could he? "All right...but I'm coming back up in a few hours, and you better be ready to come out by then! If not, I'm blasting this door down!"

No response.

Link could only sigh again. And then, reluctantly, he tore himself away from the door and slowly made his way back downstairs to face the curious picori lawyers.

(-)

It was no good. After a light brunch with the lawyers, Link had explained everything that had happened with Vaati. And after he'd finished, they offered him advice and possibilities.

"Hmm..." the forest-picori doctor mused over his toast. "Perhaps it is only one part of his grieving process. As much as he appeared to enjoy your company, he may have only been doing it in order to satisfy you. Maybe what he really needs is some time alone to figure this all out."

"But what about that scream?" Link asked. "It sounded like he was in pain. He wanted everyone out of the house."

The banker chuckled. "He wanted us out of the house from the very start."

"It could've been reality setting in," the doctor considered. "He may have been decieving himself for a while, thinking that Master Ezlo would come back, but then he woke up and remembered the truth."

Link highly doubted that. _Vaati_ had been the one to remind _him_ that Ezlo was dead.

The picori noticed the look on his face and nodded. "But I could be wrong, of course. I've never really had an extensive training in psychology. I'm a body doctor."

Link nodded. "Thanks, um..."

"Oh!" the picori realized. "I forgot that we've never really been introduced. "I am Dr. Menda."

The lawyers and the banker chimed in with their names, though Link never really remembered them. Dr. Menda was the only one he needed.

Needless to say, all of what the doctor had said was still whirling around in his mind when he returned upstairs for his check in. The door was still closed and locked...but he couldn't bring himself to force it open. Especially since, when he listened closely, he was sure he could hear Vaati's soft high-pitched sobbing. Oh, how he wished he could swoop in there and make everything okay again.

Oh, well...maybe he _did_ need some time alone. Maybe he shouldn't force him to do anything he didn't want to--it might be only further upsetting him. Reluctantly, Link made his way back downstairs again.

For the rest of the day, he helped the other picori package up items that were going to be sent to Ezlo's distant relatives, gather paper, quills, ink, and other supplies, and to make them dinner. The picori worked all day at pieces of paper, appartently trying to figure something out.

"Okay!" the banker announced just as dinner was finished. "We've got the budget figured out. The only problem is, we can't start making the plans, because we've got no statement."

Link had no idea what they were talking about. "Um...what does that mean?"

"Master Ezlo's funeral," the green lawyer explained. "We can't start planning it out, because we've got no written statement of his final wishes."

"Oh." Link couldn't believe it. It had been so long since he had died, Link figured that the picori didn't hold funerals. Briefly, he wondered what a picori funeral was like. What would happen to Ezlo?! Were they going to bury him or grind him into dust? Maybe they'd do some other weird thing, like setting him on fire! Link didn't want him to be set on fire.

The red lawyer sighed. "If only his heir would come down here and speak with us. Perhaps we could ask _him_ for funeral preferences."

Vaati. They always meant Vaati when they said "the heir". Vaati didn't want to be called "the heir". He didn't even want to think of having to become Ezlo's successor so quickly.

Even so, Link found it terribly unnerving that he had locked himself up in his bedroom like this. He kept going back up to see him, but was always met with the exact same thing--a closed door and painful sobbing. All this crying couldn't be helping him much. Even so, Link eventually just let him have the whole day. Maybe he'd be better tomorrow. He sincerely hoped so.

That was how Link disappointedly found himself facing his third night in a row all alone.

(-)

Well...at least this time there wasn't any screaming. Link had woken up naturally, though he felt less than refreshed. Once again, he'd had a difficult time sleeping, thinking and worrying so much about Vaati. Now, this morning, he was heading upstairs again with a breakfast tray of mini-toast and more blueberry pieces.

It was that morning, while he'd been eating his own breakfast, that he realized that Vaati hadn't eaten anything yesterday. Unless he had some sort of secret stash in his room somewhere, he hadn't come out to get any sort of food.

Link desperately knocked against the locked wooden door. "Vaati! Good morning! It's me, Link! I've brought breakfast!"

Silence.

_Knock knock knock_. "Hey, Vaati? Did you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Vaati? Are you asleep?"

Nothing. Cold, terrible silence formed a wall in front of him.

_Bangbangbangbangbang!_ "_Vaati_!" Link desperately called. "Answer me! Are you _alive_?!"

At last, he thought he heard a little bit of a groan from the other side.

"Come on," Link tried to coax him. "I brought you breakfast. I made it myself. You must be really hungry, since you didn't eat anything yesterday."

The nothingness was back again.

Link sighed. "Don't tell me you're starving yourself again. Please--it's not healthy! You're going to make yourself sick!" Link felt like he was talking to a brick wall. "Rrrrrugh..."

Finally, Link just set the tray on the floor next to Vaati's closed door. He couldn't dwell on it--he couldn't let this take over his life. He had to help the picori downstairs. He had to start looking for Ezlo's notes on the Elemental Sanctuary so he could figure out how to open it. Vaati would come around. He had to, eventually.

_Yeah...that's right. Keep telling yourself that. _He could say that all he wanted...but that didn't mean he had to believe it.

(-)

Later that day, while the other picori made up memo notes and planned out their course of news-breaking action, Link scoured what was left of the workshop for Ezlo's notes. He found plenty of long scrolls of furious, accented scribbling, but none of them mentioned the Elemental Sanctuary. Fortunately, the Jabber Nut also allowed him to understand written Picori script perfectly.

Just when he was about to give up, he found a small book of notes, bound with many strings of spider silk and covered with two pieces of leaves. There was nothing in there about the Elemental Sanctuary, but a few words caught his eye and captured his attention. The first was a date--twelve years ago. The second was a name--Vaati. Link couldn't stop himself. He began to read.

_This...this was Ezlo's journal_, he realized. Flipping to the front and back pages, he noticed that the dates began five years earlier than this...and went all the way up to one year ago. _He wrote in this little book from five years before he recieved Vaati, until just before the incident with the Minish Cap. Wow..._

Link flipped through the pages again, and something stuck out, forming a gap in the pages a little before the halfway point. He turned to that spot...and nearly melted on contact. It was a pictograph--a black-and-white one, but still... It looked like it had been taken by a professional pictographer. Ezlo was sitting posed on a chair carved out of a tree twig, with a little toddler Vaati in his lap. Apparently, little Vaati was supposed to be sitting there posed, too, but he just couldn't sit still and was wrapping Ezlo's beard around him life a fluffy white coat. Ezlo smiled and laughed at his antics.

Link instantly began to tear up at the sight...but all of a sudden, another feeling took over. Frustration? Anger? This wasn't right. Vaati should be down here, helping to preserve these precious possessions. If he really wanted to make it up to Ezlo, he should be doing everything he could to protect what had been important to him. If Link hadn't found this journal, someone in the cleanup crew might've just thrown it away for trash. ...Didn't he care?

Link sucked in his forming tears. It wasn't right. What was Vaati being so stubborn?! Again, he went up to the room, only to be met with the offending closed door. And as much as he tried knocking and calling, he wouldn't let him in, or even say a legitimate word.

Link choked back his frustration, not wanting to upset Vaati any more than he already was, and channeled it into searching for the Elemental Sanctuary notes. Then, the next morning, he actually managed to find them. He began to read them over...but his knowledge of magic was so limited, and his mind was so distracted with other important thoughts that he couldn't make any kind of sense out of it.

_I can't believe that Vaati still hasn't come out of his room. It's...impossible. He's been in there all this time, alone...probably suffering. He hasn't eaten anything. He didn't even touch that breakfast tray I left him. I...I've got to get through to him somehow. I need to see him. _

Still, there was never any opportunity. Link never managed to catch him with the door unlocked, or when he ventured out of the room for a bit.

That night, he resolved to do whatever it took. He got the picori's permission to skip out helping them with the organization for the rest of the night.

(-)

Link had been planning this out all day. When he arrived upstairs, he took his station behind the edge of the corridor. He might have to wait here for a very long time, but it would be worth it.

Sure enough, it took a very boring two hours before there was any kind of movement. At first, Link didn't even realize it, since he'd been almost falling asleep against the wall. Vaati was very quiet, and Link didn't get a chance to act until he was closing the door behind him again. But fortunately, as Link soon found out, he'd forgotten to _lock _the door behind him.

Finally, Link took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Slowly, he pushed it back and stepped into the room. Vaati was once again lying in his bed, only his little round head poking out. This time, he was facing him, though his eyes were, fortunately, closed.

Link tip-toed gingerly forward towards him. He was in a slight state of awe. He hadn't seen Vaati in so long... The last thing he wanted was to make some sort of noise and bring the whole remarkable incident to an end.

Soon, he was hovering lightly over the resting picori. Vaati couldn't be asleep--he'd just gotten back into this bed. Besides, he looked pained...burdened. Vaati's face was crinkled in some sort of anxiety. Of course. At least he wasn't crying this time.

Link took a few moments to get a better look at him. No. Not again. Little indentations were forming below his eyes, over his cheekbones. Whatever small amount of weight he'd gained during their stay at Hyrule Castle was all gone again. Additionally, his face looked strangely discolored and...shriveled? A sickly grayish tinge replaced his normal pale purple complexion.

Link drew in his breath slowly. It was just as he had suspected--Vaati was getting sick. It was a good thing he'd decided to sneak in now. Poor little Vaati didn't look like he could survive for much longer shut up in his room like this. _Why? What's the matter?! What happened?! Why is he...becoming suicidal again?!_

"Oh, Vaati..."

The tiny picori's eyelids instantly flew open. He did a double-take, before he realized what was going on and flew up in bed. "Y-You..." Vaati's voice sounded oddly low and raspy--not like a picori at all. "Link... No...I forgot to lock the door..."

"I _had _to see you!" Link burst out. He clutched at the collar of his light green undershirt, hands trembling, as he fought the urge to seize Vaati by the shoulders and squeeze him close. "Just...just look at you! You're getting _sick_! Vaati, I understand that you're grieving, but you've got to eat something."

Vaati scowled and tucked his small head down against his right shoulder. "Well...I'm fasting."

"This _isn't_ fasting! This is like anorexia! It's ridiculous! You've got to stop it!"

Vaati made no reply. He simply sat near the edge of the bed, his oval picori legs folded down underneath him. Uneasily, he gripped the bedcovers to his thighs...and his body gradually began to tremble. No. Not more tears.

Link stepped softly closer to him. "Vaati...I know. You're under a tremendous amount of stress and anguish...and when these things happen to you, you start to turn self-destructive. It's okay. You've just got to let me help you. You know I'm never going to let you die. I made a promise to protect you..."

"This is...all your fault."

Link's mouth clamped itself shut at the sound of his voice. There it was again...that voice. That cold, hard, whispery voice. That voice of pure assuradness, solidity, and seriousness. But...Link couldn't understand what he was trying to say. "...What?"

"This is all your fault," Vaati's icy voice repeated. And at last, he lifted his head to look him square in the eye.

A terrible, deep cold shiver blew throughout Link's whole body. That expression... He hadn't seen anything like that on Vaati's face since last year... It had lost some of its malice in his soft picori features...but that didn't mean that it was any less chilling. Deep, pointed fixation...a face so intensely serious... It was _loathing_...pure, complete loathing. Link was suddenly alarmed, and even frightened. _Vaati...? _

"I should have been here," Vaati continued. "I never should have left. I should have been here for Ezlo. I should have been here to cure him. I could have healed him. I could have saved his life. And why wasn't I here?"

Link's clenched jaw finally released and trembled as it fell down a centimeter. _You were helping me find the Secondary Elements..._

"That's right!" Link froze again. "I was off on that little save-the-world trip with _you_, laughing and enjoying myself and having a grand old time! _While my father was here all alone, dying_!"

Link flew into a sudden panic, waving his hands in front of him, desparately. "B-But...but we were saving the world! You _wanted _to come with me! He...he wanted you to go! Look at how much you've grown...look at how much stronger you've become."

"Me, me, me! It's always about _me_! That's it! That's all you ever care about--your feaky love obsession with me! ..._Why_?! I wish...I wish I'd never gone on this stupid journey with you!!!"

Link could barely breathe. What?! What was going on?! This...this wasn't like Vaati at all! What was wrong with him?! What had gotten into him?! Was the problem really...him? Had he let his own desires take control of him? Had he gone too far? Did Vaati...really not like him at all? How had this happened? Just what had triggered this terrible explosion?

"V-Vaati!" Link cried, desperately reaching out towards the enraged picori. "You've got to calm down! Just _listen_!" His hand reached forward, stretching, to wrap itself around Vaati's thin little upper arm...

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!"

Link flew backwards from the impact as a lighning-sharp little fist slammed full-force into his arm. It seemed impossible that such a tiny, sickly little picori could deal such a powerful blow, or that it could shriek so ear-splittingly loud.

Vaati doubled over into the covers of his bed, panting and coughing weakly.

Link was absolutely stunned...horrified. _Vaati?!?! _His forehead squeezed so tightly that it was beginning to give him a headache. Tear droplets welled up underneath them...being squeezed out by the tightness in his face. His emotions were so mixed, swirled up, and confused, that it would be impossible to try to describe them. Vaati's words lingered in the air, making it denser than a boulder.

Vaati panted...and panted...and panted. When he finally looked up again, he had settled down a little more...the panic and desperation had faded out, and his adrenaline had slowed to a stop. But his face was still terribly hard. Its new bones added to the angled, intense effect...his bright red eyes were unusually narrowed.

Link didn't want to look...he couldn't look. He didn't want to see it...Vaati's loathing. His hatred...for him.

"Go away."

Link closed his eyes and tried steel himself against the impact...but it was just too much for him. A lone tear tumbled down his right cheek.

"...I can't stand the sight of you."

(-)

_I don't understand... I just don't understand!!! What happened?! Everything was fine! Everything was perfectly fine! He...he didn't say he loved me...but...I never thought he _hated _me! How...?! Why...?! _Why, _Vaati?!?!_

Link didn't know what to do. He couldn't go back downstairs. Those picori would ask him about it. He didn't feel like talking to them. He didn't feel like trying to figure it out. He didn't feel like walking...or running...or speaking...or even standing. A part of him wanted to scream and punch something...but now, all he could do was collapse onto the floor around the hallway where he had hidden and burst into shuddering sobs. It just couldn't be true... This couldn't be happening. This had to be some kind of terrible nightmare. That was it. It had to be. Vaati couldn't...possibly... Link's lungs took a desperate gulp of air. No...no...

It was a while before he could even think clearly again. Memories were flashing through his mind, like a movie reel--all those times he'd spent together with Vaati. Cuddling under the blanket, riding the carnival rides, fighting monsters...smiling...and laughing.

_Vaati... My sweet little Vaati... What happened to you? I...I didn't think... Could he have just been pretending all that time? No, there's no way. I know. Vaati, I KNOW you're not evil. So...why...? "This is all your fault." Is...is it really...my fault? "That's all you ever care about--your freaky love obsession with me!" Am I...hurting him, by loving him? I should've left. I should've just left right after I told him. Or I never should have let myself fall in love with him in the first place..._

In a flash of lucid insight, Link recalled the incident of his confession. He _was _going to leave. He had been in the process of leaving--and Vaati had interrupted him. He'd said he didn't mind...that he wanted him to be with him. Was that just a lie?!

_He's delirious. He must be. He's mad with grief, and he doesn't really mean what he said. Right? _

But no matter how many times Link repeated this theory, it didn't help to soften the blow of his words at all. They still hurt just as sharply. _"Don't touch me. I can't stand the sight of you." _

Even when Link finally calmed down and made his way back downstairs, he couldn't concentrate on anything and just sat around sighing and trying to get the words off his mind. He was alone at one of the workbenches, burying his head in his arms against the desk to hide his tears, when someone finally approached him.

"Hey...is something the matter, boy?"

Link rubbed his tears away and peeked out over his arms into the small, round face of the forest picori--Dr. Menda. His black oval eyes were widened to resemble circles.

"Oh..." Link was slightly embarrassed. He probably looked pathetic right now. He was supposed to be the hero...the strong, steadfast one... "Um...no, I'm okay."

Dr. Menda's eyes angled upwards, somewhat sadly, and a tiny smile curled onto his face, accenting the little red dabs on his cheeks. "Oh, don't be like that. You don't have to be tough and strong for me. Yes, I know you're the hero--I don't expect you to be devoid of any human emotions."

Link sighed, deeply. Doctors, lawyers...he wasn't getting anything past this bunch of picori. "It's...Vaati. We...well, I guess you could say we had a fight. ...He yelled at me. He said something terrible...and told me to stay away from him." Just admitting the fact out loud made Link want to cry again. "I don't understand..."

Dr. Menda frowned, thoughtfully. "...It may be that he is developing some unhealthy type of grief. Locking yourself up and pushing your loved ones away... I said before that he might have needed some alone time, but now it appears that alone time is exactly the opposite of what he needs."

Link stared, blankly into the forest picori's face. Then, a moment later, he shot up in his seat with alarm. "Oh! Yeah! And speaking of unhealthy--I think he's getting sick!"

Dr. Menda's eyes widened again. "Sick? What do you mean?"

"He's getting thinner and weaker, and he won't eat anything. Plus, when I finally managed to see him just now, his face looked sick and grayish."

Dr. Menda twitched a little in shock, and his mouth jolted open. "What?! You mean, all this time he's been up there, he hasn't had anything to eat?! Of course he's sick! Has he been drinking at least?! He might be severely dehydrated!!!"

Link just stared, alarmed, though confused. "He's really sick?!"

"Sick? If he gets too dehydrated, he'll die! Do you know if he's throwing up?!"

Link leaped off his stool. "_Die_?! U-Uh...I don't know if he's throwing up. I only saw him for a few minutes, and it was after he'd come out of the bathroom!"

Abruptly, Dr. Menda turned around, brushing Link with his feather tail. "Well, I need to see him and evaluate his condition immediately!"

"D-Don't!" Link didn't know why, but he jumped forward, seizing the doctor's arm and holding him back. Menda looked back at him, just as confused. "Uh...well, I think he's afraid of being touched. He started screaming when I tried to touch him..."

Dr. Menda sighed. "Link...you need to think of what's best for him now. He's under psychological trauma--he can't understand that we're not going to hurt him. His requests are unreasonable and self-harmful. You have to try to resist..."

Link turned his eyes downward in anxiety. He knew that. It was happening again. It seemed like there was nothing he could do to help Vaati now. He just felt so helpless and frustrated. He gritted his teeth. "Can't you just...tell me what needs to be done to help him, and let me do it?"

"Well..." Dr. Menda turned back around, though his expression was still slightly worried. "I guess we can try it for now. The problem here is that you're not a doctor and won't be able to recognize any symptoms."

Link just continued staring into his shining brown eyes, waiting for the order.

"Obviously, you need to find a way of getting some sort of liquid into him--preferrably pure water, and lots of it. And then, he needs some kind of food. If you can get him to drink and eat, that's all he should need. If he still doesn't get better after that, you'll _have _to let me see him."

Link bit his lip, grimly. Get Vaati to drink and eat...it sounded a lot easier than it was. At last, he pulled away from the doctor and solidly thanked him for his help. Then, he slipped away to the corner of the workshop, where a small box held their food items.

_Remember what he said--Vaati is under psychological trauma. He doesn't mean what he says. I've got to do everything I can to help him. It doesn't matter! I don't care if he hates me! I don't care if I make him sick! No matter what, I'm not letting him die!!!_

And so, Link reached into the box, grabbed a small piece of bread and a bottle full of water, and marched, determinedly, back up the staircase.

(-)

Link was surprised to discover that the door to Vaati's room was left unlocked. The sick little picori just didn't feel up to getting back up to lock it again. Once again, Vaati had his eyes closed, and Link walked very slowly and carefully up to him. It felt like tip-toeing around a mine field--he had to avoid bumping into furniture and stepping on creaky floorboards. He wanted to delay Vaati finding out about him for as long as possible.

When he finally got to the side of the bed, he just stared down at Vaati's resting form under the covers and tried to decide what to do next. He'd probably be angry and start screaming again if he woke him up...but he couldn't eat or drink anything while he was sleeping. Hmm... Well, maybe...

Link opened the cap of the water bottle and brought it down, gently, carefully, to press against Vaati's grayish lips. At first, there was no response, but after Link poked the bottle against them again, they slowly began to part.

To Link's surprise and delight, he saw him take a tiny sip. ...And then another. Then another, a little bigger. Link smiled and tipped the bottle towards him. Soon, Vaati was taking bigger, eager sips from the bottle, as if he'd suddenly realized how thirstly he was. He began gulping at it, desperately, and Link now had to tip the bottle back a bit to prevent him from drinking too much all at once.

And then, all of a sudden, it was over. Link tipped the last few drops into Vaati's mouth, and Vaati suddenly shuddered and wrenched his head away. Link smiled and looked at the empty bottle. _Phew. ...Good job. _

He looked down to the piece of bread, and turned back to Vaati. The tiny picori had buried himself in the covers again, tucking his head down underneath him. Ah, well--the food would have to come tomorrow morning. But he'd gotten him to finish a whole bottle of water! At last, Link came back downstairs, with the renewed hopes that, once again, things would get better.

(-)

This same pattern continued for two more days. Vaati easily drank whole bottles of water, yet he refused to eat anything. Never once didn he look at Link or even open his eyes. Either he was just too weak, or he was purposely avoiding looking at him.

_Well, it makes sense, since apparently he "can't stand the sight of me". _Those words still bothered Link every now and then, especially when he got lonely at night. They echoed through his head as he stared at the ceiling, and the images of Vaati's twisted face began to appear again, haunting him. At least this current avoidance was better than that.

Despite the water intake, Vaati didn't seem to be getting any better. His face grew a little less shriveled, but it retained its terrible grayish tint.

"It's the lack of nutrition," Dr. Menda explained to Link. "His body's living off of its own substance. He could also die if he doesn't eat something soon."

Link was trying with the piece of bread three times a day. He did everything short of shoving it down Vaati's throat--and if this stubborn self-starvation persisted, he'd eventually have to.

Still, Link felt as if he was beginning to make some progress. Once, after he'd finished feeding Vaati his bottle of water, he'd gently begun to brush his bangs a little. For a moment, Vaati had just lied there and let him. Maybe the order not to touch him didn't apply to his hair.

Link strangely realized that his wings hadn't come out at all to try to protect him--not even when he had screamed and pulled back. Maybe he just didn't have enough magical energy to support them.

Steadily, gradually, Link was losing his mind. He began to feel sick himself--his headache had returned with a vengeance, and his missed hours of sleep had crept up on him. Black discolorations had formed under his dull blue eyes, and he always tended to look tired and drained. This was insane. He couldn't keep doing this--day after day, helping the picori with the leftovers of his dead friend, trying to keep his destroyed sweetheard alive, never being able to talk to him or at least look into his eyes.

At last, Link decided that he had to say something. He had to speak up and get Vaati to listen. There had to be some way. He _knew _Vaati now...at least he'd thought he had. There had to be some way to talk some sense into him.

Link felt a sense of déjà vu as he hovered over Vaati's resting form that afternoon. It felt exactly the same as when he'd first met him again, three months ago. Vaati hadn't wanted to talk to him and had kept starving himself. There was no way Link would let that happen again.

Just as always, Link kneeled down next to Vaati's bed and gently let him drink from the water bottle unti it was empty. But this time, when he began to retreat, Link forced himself to speak out.

"...Vaati?"

There was no response.

"Vaati...please, I need to know what's wrong."

Still nothing.

"I...I won't do anything to hurt you, I promise. I won't touch you. I'll...I'll stop talking to you like that. It doesn't matter. It...it doesn't matter to me if you don't love me."

This time, Vaati began to move. He shifted over in his bed, turning to face away from him. At least he was acknowledging that he was there...he was moving away from him.

Link gritted his teeth. Enough of this. No. He wasn't going to take it anymore. He had to. He just couldn't do this anymore. Desperately, he seated himself on the small space of the bed next to Vaati's curled-up little body. He saw Vaati shudder a little, but that was it. Link's forehead constricted, though he couldn't even feel the pain in his head anymore. That pain was dulled by the presence of the gnawing, stabbing pain on his inside.

"Vaati...can't you see?! Don't you understand?! It doesn't matter to me--even if you turn against me, if you yell at me, if you hate me, I still love you. Nothing will ever change that. I can hide it, if you want--it doesn't matter. But...please...I..."

Link couldn't handle it anymore...he could barely even make sense of it all anymore. So much swirling around all at once... Ezlo's death, Vaati's destruction, all those times together... How had this happened?! How had everything just crumbled into ruin?! How could it all end like _this_?!?! Before he realized it, tears were tumbling down his cheeks. His body began to shudder, all on its own.

"But...but you don't understand... It's...it's hurting me, too!"

Link managed to take a deep breath...and as soon as he did, everything he'd tried to lock up tightly inside of him for so long came exploding out. His head fell down to his knees and his body shuddered violently. He had to squeeze tightly to his shoulders just to stop it from bursting. Terrible, strong, gasping moans slipped out of him as tears streamed endlessly across his entire face. Desperately, his body took ragged gulps of air in between. "_Euughhhhhhh_..._huhhhhhh_..._ihhhihhh_..._ Uughhhhh_!"

Slowly, Vaati's ruby-red eyes slid open. Carefully, he began to move again. And gradually, he pulled himself up into an upright, sitting position. Link couldn't see him, of course--but he could see Link. Those newly-opened eyes began to widen.

"_Iugh_..._uhh_...he...he was important to me too! _Hihhh_! And...and then, after losing him...to see you...to see you destroying yourself like this... And...and when you yelled at me...it...it really hurt! It hurts so much... I just..._I can't stand it_!!!" Link burst into another shuddering, hard sob, squeezing the covers in front of him and tucking his head down against his chest. The tears were literally dripping off his face.

Vaati's eyes widened again. Then, they widened even further. They were so wide, they seemed to take up half his face. No. No, it couldn't be. Oh Goddesses, no. He couldn't believe it...but he could recall it clearly. That incident...that incident when he'd...

"Oh..." It was the sudden realization--the strike of insight. How could he have let this happen again?

"Ohmygosh..._Link_!!!"

And all of a sudden, Link found himself wrapped in a desperate, tight hug. He was clutched tightly to the side of Vaati's shoulder, in a strange sort of half-hug...but it was indeed a hug. In surprise, Link's tears suddenly halted. He wrenched his head up to see Vaati's face in front of him. To his astonishment, tears were beginning to slip down his cheeks as well. Link's face relaxed, his expression falling into amazement and confusion. "Vaati...?" he whispered.

Vaati trembled and squeezed his one arm around his shoulders. "L-Link...Link, I'm...I'm so sorry. I...never meant anything that I said. I can't believe...I said such terrible things to you. Ohmygosh, Link, I'm so sorry!!!"

At last, Link smiled a little bit and began to reach up to place his hands over Vaati's back. "Hey... I already told you--it doesn't matter. Yeah...it made me feel really bad, but it's okay. I'm not mad at you."

Vaati forcefully wrenched himself away from him again. "Y-You should be," he choked out. "You're never mad at me. You're always so nice to me... I want you to be mad at me!"

Link could only stare on, completely baffled. "You..._want_ me to be mad at you?"

Vaati exhaled, frustratingly, and he pressed a hand to his head, turning back around towards Link again. "I just don't know. I just...don't know what's going on anymore. Link, I think I'm going insane. That's it. I'm going insane. Just like before. You have to stop me."

Link's eyes widened and he shifted his body a little, moving closer, trying to comfort him. "Insane?" Could that really be it? Was Vaati really going insane?!

"Y-Yeah," Vaati admitted, in a low voice. "It happened before. When...when I took Ezlo's hat. I don't know what did it...frustration, maybe...anger at myself...anger at the world. I just... Everything feels like it's whirling out of control and I have to do something...something really rash...and desperate..."

It was the exact same thing last time, Link realized. Something rash and desperate...suicide definitely qualified.

Vaati looked back down and held himself as he trembled. "A-After last year, I realized that I had to do anything to stop hurting other people...so now, I hurt myself instead. But this time, I started hurting _you_..."

Link moved in a little closer, wanting to help again. The tears had dried on his cheeks--they felt numb and refused to stretch. "It's okay. I'll help you. This time, you won't go insane. Besides, if you were insane, you wouldn't know that you were insane."

Finally, Vaati looked up again, his face frozen in awe. "Yeah...that's right." He stared at Link for a moment, and his eyes gradually relaxed. He sighed. "It's no use," he whispered. "It's already too late."

"Too late for what? What's too late?"

Slowly, to Link's utter awe, a weak sliver of a smile passed over Vaati's face. "Oh...nothing. It's nothing. Just more insane babbling. Don't listen to me." Then, he sighed again.

It couldn't just be nothing, but Link decided not to push it. He'd gotten so much out of him already. Dimly, Link became aware of a soft, deep soreness in the center of his chest and felt like breaking into tears again. That's right...he'd been crying. He'd almost forgotten, after he'd gone from having a breakdown himself to trying to comfort Vaati for the thousandth time.

His eyes fell back towards the bedcovers and picked up something lying on top of them. Weakly, he held it out towards Vaati. "...Have some bread?"

Vaati just sighed again. "Maybe tomorrow," he refused. "I'm really tired now." He leaned back against the posts of his bed in exhaustion.

Link gave him a weak smile. "Yeah. I can understand. I want to go take a nap too. But...but you promise you'll listen to me now? And look at me? You promise me you'll try to get better?"

Vaati closed his eyes and didn't speak for a moment--either thinking or just too tired to reply right away. "...Yeah. I guess I will. I don't want to hurt you any more."

"Thank you."

"Just...don't _touch_ me...okay? It...it's not because I don't want you to, but... Well, I don't want you to."

Link couldn't help but chuckle a tiny bit. "That makes no sense."

"I know it doesn't. I told you--nothing makes sense anymore."

"It's okay--I wouldn't do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Well, except for staring at you...and asking you all sorts of questions...and strapping you to the bed and force-feeding you..."

Another tiny smile faced onto his face. "Thanks," he whispered, as he was beginning to drift off into slumber. "I appreciate it."

Link's smile widened, tugging joyfully on the corners of his mouth. He was being sarcastic, he realized... Vaati was beginning to act like himself again. Vaati was coming back--the real Vaati.

_Oh, gosh, I just have to hug him! No... No! No touching!!! _Link forced his hands down as he gently rose from the edge of the bed again. _Geez...this is going to be harder than I thought..._

(-)

That night, Link excitedly related his breakthrough to Dr. Menda as the picori were having a break for tea. "Wonderful," the forest doctor replied. "You should take some of our dinner up to him. Perhaps you'll be able to get him to eat if you give him something he likes."

_Blueberries again? _Link asked himself. _I already tried tha before with breakfast. Well, that was when he'd just stopped eating, so maybe..._

But when he did bring up their supper of bread soup and blueberry pie, he wouldn't even touch it.

"I thought I said maybe tomorrow," he's told him. "Is it tomorrow already? Did I really sleep _that _long?"

For a fleeting second, Link felt like saying, "Yes! It is! Now, eat it!" but decided not to. He was a bad liar anyway, and Vaati would probably know what he was trying to do. Aw, well, maybe he should try the blueberries again for breakfast.

Although he slept all by himself again that night, it was one of the best nights he'd had since arriving in this twisted hellhole. He just prayed that this time, his sense of hope wouldn't turn out to be a precursor to more disaster.

(-)

"Hey, good morning, Vaati!" Link burst through the door, cheerily, carrying a tray of the usual blueberry mush and the standard bottle of water. "It's a brand new day! Tomorrow has arrived! Now, come on, and..."

As Link approached Vaati's bed, his voice gradually faded and dropped off. He was still sleeping. He must've really been tired if all that racket he'd made slamming the door open didn't wake him.

Link sighed and placed the tray of food on his work desk against the east wall. The desk, the bed, and the bookcase were the only pieces of furniture in the room--he supposed that that was all he needed. Now he'd just have to find somewhere to sit while he waited for him to wake up. He hoped it wouldn't take _too _long--the breakfast might get cold. Link quietly approached the bed again and gingerly seated himself on the edge next to Vaati's sleeping body.

There was nothing else to do...so he decided to just study him. Igh...those bony cheeks gave him the shivers just looking at them. Thankfully, the rest of his body was covered by the sheets--he knew it was just as emaciated. The grayish pallor to his face was ghastly--it almost made him look dead.

Link's whole body froze, paralyzed. _Dead..._ Every part of him focused itself on Vaati's tiny picori chest underneath the covers. He stared...and stared...and waited... ...It didn't move.

Link couldn't believe it. He felt as if he was being sucked into some sort of dimensional tear in the universe. No...no...Goddesses, no...

"Vaati!"

No response. He didn't even stir.

All at once, Link's body broke out of its paralysis. It lunged itself forward towards the lifeless little body. "_Vaati_!!!" he screamed.

No response.

His head shoved itself down against his chest. His hands squeezed themselves hard into his wrists--the spot Dr. Menda had taught him to press to check for pulse.

Nothing. Everything was so...hard...so...stiff.

"Vaati?"

It was useless. Link knew it. He already knew it. He couldn't feel anything. He didn't feel a thing. His mind completely blocked out everything that he'd felt in that moment. There was only one thing that mattered.

"_Vaati_!!!" Link wrenched himself upwards again, seizing the picori's tiny, sharp shoulders and shaking him violently back and forth. "Vaati!!! Vaati, wake up!!!" He slapped him across the face. Again and again, harder and harder. "Vaati, wake up!!!" Wake up! You've got to wake up! Please! Please, Vaati... Wake up..."

Link fell away from his body at last, the shuddering bubbles of sobs beginning within his center. No... Just...no. "Please..." he whispered. "...wake up..."


	10. Vision

Part two of the split chapter. It's longer than the first.

Nice time for me to lose my internet again, huh? I'm using my uncle's computer. Seriously, I intended to have this chapter up a lot earlier. So don't hurt me--it's not my fault!

I hope you'll be opened-minded and not criticize me for what I've "done" to Vaati. This little idea wasn't in the fic from the start, and I decided to add it because it was an interesting concept...and it certainly seemed to explain Vaati's appearance and mannerisms. Some of you may have already figured it out, though...

Vaati, Link, and all those random cameos in the end belong to Nintendo. I just own Dr. Menda and that other guy...but I will also have something that I will call Taro.

See you in the final chapter, which won't be for awhile again.

(-)

Chapter 10: Vision

_There was nothing. No clouds. No bright, swirling colors. No brick hallways. Just nothing. It was a bit difficult to describe what nothing looked like, but he knew that he was looking into the very essence of nothingness. A great big void? No...it wasn't a hole. It was just...here. Blankness. Nothingess. He wasn't floating. He was solidly anchored. But not to the ground. And not to the ceiling, or the walls, or in the middle of the air. To the nothingness. _

_When Vaati looked down, he could see his little pointed picori toes...and they were resting against nothing. Everything around him was nothing. _He _was nothing. Where was he? Was this some kind of dream? It didn't really seem like a dream. It did...but at the same time, it...didn't. _

_Slowly...Vaati took a tentative step forward. It felt okay. Nothing seemed so strange about it. He'd just taken a step forward. But where was everybody? Where was everything? Nothingess. No, it wasn't darkness. Darkness would be something. This was just...nothing. _

_And then...the something came. Just in front of him, something began to materialize. _Was _it materializing? Or was he just bringing it into sight for the first time? He couldn't be sure. Feet, arms, a body, and a head finally appeared. It was a picori, about the same size as him. _

_At first, Vaati could only stare at it in confusion. Was that a boy or a girl? Its dark brown-colored hair reached almost to its knees, ending in big curls at the ends. It had two long bangs draping over its big, pointy ears, and a standard curled hat in a shade of light brown that nicely complimented its hair. It had on a deep green shirt designed with some sort of symbol that looked like the Roman numeral II, dark green pants, and a brown apron that matched its hat. Its eyes were pure black, but strangely shiny and full of life. _

_The picori noticed Vaati staring at it and smiled, warmly. "Well..." It finally spoke, its voice gentle and slightly deeper than his own. "Hello there, Vaati." _

_...So it was a boy? What? How did he know his name like that? Did everyone know each other's names here? ...He didn't know this picori boy's name. _

_"U-Uh..." Vaati found his voice to be strangely wavering in this nothingness--as if it was being transmitted through something else other than sound. "...Have we met before?" _

_The picori boy's smile broadened...and broadened. "Pfffhahahaha!" he finally burst out laughing. "'Have we met before'! 'Have we met before' he says! Hahaha! _

_Vaati scowled at him. This was nothing to laugh at! He really didn't know who he was! _

_The picori boy pulled himself together again and returned to just grinning suspiciously at him. "So...you really don't recognize me? Well, here. I'll make it easier for you." _

_He bowed his head, and to Vaati's shock and awe, his body began to morph and change before his eyes. He grew a little bit taller. His clothes melded into one long, green robe. His hair turned from brown to gray, and the curls at the end flattened out and reached down towards his ankles. His face began to wrinkle and shrivel up. A beard sprouted on his chin and tumbled down towards his feet, and his eyebrows grew bushier. Then, his hat disappeared, to be replaced by a curling topknot on the top of his head. And finally, his hair became completely white and his beard and eyebrows stopped growing. Vaati was dumbstruck. The boy had aged eighty years in just one minute. And he was..._

_"...Ezlo?!" _

_Ezlo opened his eyes and smiled again--that familiar warm, knowing smile of his. He chuckled a little again. "What's the matter? Never imagined that I was a lively young picori like you?" _

_"Yeah, but I never imagined that you'd look like _that_. You had brown hair! And...and it was really long!_

_Ezlo chuckled again. _

_"H-How come you..?" _

_He extended his arms out slightly, indicating the nothingness around them. "There is no such thing as time here--it is eternal nonexistence. Here, I am ageless. I can appear any way I want to appear. For you, I will appear this way, since this is how you remember me." _

_Vaati was so stunned for a moment that he failed to recognize his own situation. He was talking to Ezlo--he was talking to him again! He had no idea how he'd suddenly become able to talk to the dead, but this was an incredible opportunity! This was his chance! His only chance to talk to his beloved surrogate father! _

_"E-Ezlo!" he cried out again. "I... You... I have so much I need to tell you!" _

_Ezlo crossed his arms. "You don't _need_ to tell me anything. I already know. I know how much you wanted me to be able to see you save the world and make me proud of you. I was _already_ proud of you. I saw...when you finally defeated your darkness. And I was very proud. I will still see you save the world...and I'll be even more proud. You make me proud just by remaining alive, Vaati. I know how much you're worried about not being able to fill my position. I could care less. All that junk I created--why should it matter to me now? I know what is happening to your body." _

_Vaati felt himself withdraw in fear a little bit, although no muscles were clenching. He didn't want him to know about that..._

_"Just another thing to be proud of. It's not what you think it is, Vaati. And you've got to accept it. Once you begin to truly work in harmony, you are capable of amazing things." _

_Vaati felt the emotion of anxiety. "Work in harmony? You mean...it's causing... B-But I...!" _

_"I didn't say 'killed', did I?" _

_Vaati focused away into the nothingness._

_"You are strong--much stronger than you realize. Very few magic-users are able to achieve what you are beginning to experience. In fact, I never even got to recieve any of my gifts." _

_"Can I give them back?" _

_"Giving them back would be much more dangerous than keeping them. You are already in the process of destroying them. You are still in the process of destroying yourself--and I feel so horrible for being one of the causes. Everything here is not nothing. I may be nonexistent, but I can still feel." _

_"I...I'm sorry," Vaati finally replied. And he truly was. "I'm just...so confused right now." _

_"I know," Ezlo repeated. Was there anything he _didn't_ know? Perhaps being dead granted infinite knowledge. "I also know about your feelings for Link." _

_Vaati felt that same emotion of "anxiety" again. He knew he felt it, though he experienced none of the physical symptoms. Of course. That had to come up. "I'm sorry..." Vaati told him again. "I didn't know...I couldn't...stop it. I was going to ask you about it, but..." _

_Ezlo shook his head, seeming to chuckle a little bit behind his bushy white beard. "I have nothing to do with it. It doesn't matter to me--I'm dead! And even if I was alive, it still wouldn't matter. In fact, I'm happy--I'm delighted that Link is the one you've decided to give your heart to. I'm not the one you're worried about, am I?" _

_Vaati shook his head and focused on the nothingness again. "No. You aren't." _

_Ezlo gave him a sympathetic smile and moved a little closer. "You can't please them, Vaati. You have to learn to ignore them. Why should your choice of partner matter to them? It doesn't affect your work or your personality at all. Yes, to them, it will be. And you need to stand up and defy that. You have to earn your acceptance. Unfortunately, in that world, that's the way it goes." Ezlo paused to chuckle a little more again. "And you know what? Everyone here is the same as you!"_

_Vaati felt suddenly better and he heard himself giggle. "Yeah--I never thought about it that way." _

_Ezlo's amused smile fell back down into a grim pout. "You haven't told Link yet." _

_Immediately, Vaati was solemn again. "Well...I'm kind of sensitive about it...and the 'gift' too...I...I just don't want to..." _

_"You're afraid that when Link finds out, he's going to be shocked and repulsed and leave you forever. And that's why you've been turning _him _away and rejecting _him_ instead--as a defense mechanism. I'm glad you finally realized that it's useless. Link already has a very deep, important part in your heart--and nothing you can do now is going to change that." Ezlo sighed a little and rested his head in a hand. "This is the only thing I found difficult about teaching you--it takes so long for things to sink into that rock-hard head of yours. Though I do admire your ability to not take things for granted, you have to allow yourself to believe what you keep seeing--over and over again." _

_Vaat frowned. He knew it. He should know it. But it was so hard...it was so hard to trust someone with this. Especially someone who mattered so much to him. _

_"You've got to tell him, Vaati. The poor boy is going crazy, worrying about you, and he has no idea what you're all upset about. That's another thing about you--you won't tell others about your problems. You just let them build up inside you until you explode." _

_"I'm...sorry..." Vaati told him again. "I'll try to tell him." _

_Ezlo nodded his head. "Good boy. Now, you must go back, to continue living. Please make me proud." _

_"Back?" Vaati asked. "You mean...the only reason I can talk to you is..." _

_"You cannot come back," Ezlo sternly told him. "You mustn't come back to this place. There are very important things you must do before you come here again. We will meet here again someday, but not for a long, long time. Farewell for now. Your escort is waiting."_

_Vaati desparately tried to find something to say. He knew he had to say something! _

_"Oh, and one more thing?" Ezlo asked as he began to draw backwards into the nothingness. "I don't care about the ceremony at all--you can do whatever you want with my body. It doesn't belong to me anymore. But could I have an offering of a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich instead of just a bunch of flowers? Flowers are useless here, but at least I'll be able to taste a sandwich." _

_Vaati couldn't help but burst out in laughter at the odd request. "S-Sure! I'll make you one myself!" _

_Ezlo grinned back at him, and slowly, his form was beginning to dissolve back into the nothingness again. _

_"Wait!" Vaati finally managed to call out, suddenly realizing what he had to say. "Ezlo!" This was the last chance he'd ever get to see Ezlo for the rest of his life! "I...I love you!!!" _

_Just before he disappeared, Ezlo had a moment to turn around and show Vaati his beaming smile. "I love you too, Vaati." Then, he was gone. _

_Vaati could only stare into the nothingness in the aftershock. Ezlo. He'd just spoken with Ezlo. _

_Just in front of him, something else was beginning to materialize. Another picori. Though this wasn't Ezlo. It was a little boy picori only as tall as his chest. He wore an aqua-colored petal robe similar to his own, with a dark blue symbol of two connected circles on his chest. Another standard curling picori hat was fitted over the spiked pieces of light green hair that flopped out from underneath. His deep blue eyes stared, emotionless, up into his. _

_The boy stepped forward, taking his hand, and beginning to lead him backwards. Vaati followed, though not without hesitation. "Who are you?" he asked the little boy, in wonder._

_The boy's voice was flat, and he didn't even turn to look at him. "You will call me Taro." _

You will call me_?! This little boy was acting like some sort of leader or king. "Er...okay, Taro. So...where are you taking me?" _

_"You will call me Taro." _

_"I _am _calling you Taro!" Vaati protested. "Didn't you hear me, Taro?!" _

_Little Taro finally turned around, halting him in his tracks, and gave him a hard, fixed stare. His eyes...his face didn't seem real. It looked almost transparent. "You _will _call me Taro." Then, he grabbed his hand and began to pull him forward, harder. _

_Vaati could't say anything more. He felt like he...almost understood. At last, something black began to appear. Darkness. Taro stopped in his tracks and held Vaati forward, as if saying, "You need to go on by yourself from here." _

_Vaati nodded and took a step forward. As soon as he did, something began to tug hard at every corner of him. Suddenly, it hurt. He stared desperately back at the mysterious little picori boy just standing there next to him. "What?!" he called. "What's happening?! What's going on?! I'm...I'm..." _

_The little picori boy held his arms wide out, spreading his aqua sleeves, in a gesture of welcoming. And then...a little smile peeked onto his face. "You will call me Taro." _

(-)

_Thump_. Link's eyes cracked open. Was that...really what it felt like? Maybe he was just imagining it. He was hoping too much--he was starting to decieve himself. _Thump_..._thump_... No...no, he was really feeling it.

Link squeezed Vaati's wrist tighter. There it was--a little pulsating vein poking at his fingers. Link's own heart began to beat faster. "Vaati?" He kept his eyes trained on the little picori's bony face. Gradually, its grayish hue was clearing up. His chest suddenly lurched forward as he took a sharp breath.

Link smiled, an overwhelming sense of relief settling within him. "Vaati!" He leaned, excitedly over his body. And a moment later, his bright red eyes were gently lifting open.

_Link's face...Link's beaming, tearstained face...blue eyes so wide and watery, like little ponds...shiny blond hair mussed, cheeks red with exertion... There were so many colors, all around him. Something firm and soft pressed against his back. But Link was all that mattered. What a wonderful sight..._

"Link?"

Link's wonderful smile widened even further, and the teardrops below his eyes squeezed out with the effort. "Vaati!!!" He seized his face, around the cheeks, and closed his eyes again for a moment, crying with happiness and relief. "Vaati! You're okay! You're really okay!!! Oh, Vaati, I'm so, so, so happy!!!"

Gently, awkwardly, Vaati began to sit up on the bed again, and Link worriedly supported him. He blinked. "What...what just happened?"

"Y-You were dead!" Link excliamed. "At least you looked and felt like you were dead. And then...then, you just came back to life! Vaati, you came back from the dead!!!"

_I was dead?! _That's _why I was able to see Ezlo?! Oh my Goddesses..._

"Vaati, I'm so happy! I thought for a while that..."

_"You've got to tell him, Vaati." _Vaati bit his lip. He'd promised. He could do it now--that's what Ezlo had sent him back to do. He couldn't die yet. No--he had to say it. He knew it for sure now.

_"It doesn't matter to me..." "You have to earn your acceptance." "You have to allow yourself to believe what you keep seeing..." _

"Link, I..."

Link immediately sat back, completely attentive and focused on him. "Yeah?"

"I...Link, I..." He'd done it before. He had to say it...before it was too late. It had almost been too late. And he feared that most of all. To never get the chance... Vaati began to tremble from within from the power of what he was holding back.

Link leaned forward a little, eyes widening.

And then, finally, he just let it erupt out of him.

"Link, I..._I love you_!!!"

He launched himself into the boy's arms, hair flying around his face, tears spilling down his cheeks. He squeezed his arms around his chest so tightly that it began to hurt.

Link was completely stunned. Another tear fell down his own cheek, and then, he smiled again. Gently, he reached his hand up to place it, lovingly on the back of Vaati's head. That soft hair...this delicate little body...they were his again. His precious Vaati. He couldn't believe it. This was the most wonderful moment of his life.

A silent moment passed between them--a beautiful, happy moment. Link smiled as he stroked Vaati's hair. Neither of them had moved an inch.

"We're in love," he whispered, breathlessly. "...So why are we so sad?"

Vaati chuckled a little, though it sounded more like a hiccup. "I don't know. I'm crazy, remember?"

"I...I thought you didn't like me anymore. Ever since you..."

"I was...afraid, I guess," Vaati mumbled into his shoulder. "Afraid of what I was feeling. Afraid to let myself love. It's a weakness. I felt so terrible when Ezlo died. If something happened to you...or if we couldn't be together...I wouldn't survive the pain. In a way, it's okay now that he died...because that's when I realized what love is."

A pause. Link just decided to stay silent...let Vaati slowly unlock himself.

"...I saw him, you know. When I was dead, I saw him. He told me I should tell you. And--and he doesn't mind. He's happy...that we're together."

Link smiled along with him. "That's good."

All of a sudden, Vaati panicked. He ripped away from Link and stared at him with huge, wide eyes. "Er...um...are you okay?"

Link stared back at him in confusion. _Now _what was he all upset about? "Are _you_ okay?"

Vaati shook, slightly. "Um...I'm f-fine. W-What about you?"

"I'm fine if you're fine."

Vaati exhaled lightly in relief. "Okay," he whispered, distantly. "We're fine."

Link couldn't help it--he began to laugh. After a moment, Vaati joined him, weakly. And so they just stayed there on the bed together for a while, laughing and reveling in their newfound love.

(-)

That afternoon, Vaati finished a whole sandwich, though he didn't feel up to trying the salad that went with it. Link gave him a little kiss on the cheek in pride, and it only made him smile, delightedly. It felt so wonderful to have his sweet little Vaati back. Link happily reported their progress to Dr. Menda, though he left out the part about the love confession for now. Eventually, they'd have to let everyone know, but they could just hide it for now, for Vaati's safety.

"Sheesh," the doctor muttered in reply. "I'm glad he's finally decided to comply...but it took an out-of-body experience to convince him!"

Link brought Ezlo's journal that night when he came up with dinner. He brought his own dinner with him as well, and the two of them had a little picnic on the top of Vaati's bed. Vaati was actually very grateful to Link for recovering it for him. He spent a few minutes flipping through it and browsing some of the pages before storing it in the top drawer of his desk, right next to his mother's diary. He smiled. "Now I've got the words of both my mother and my father." He was beginning to accept the fact that Ezlo was dead--maybe because he'd gotten to speak with him again.

During the next few days, Link went on a personal mission of his own, leaving the picori to their preparations. There wasn't much they could do, anyway--they needed Vaati's input in order to plan the funeral...and they needed to know if they should plan a succession ceremony as well. Link didn't want to expose Vaati to them so soon, but he tried to assure them that he would be coming back down soon. Soon...as soon as Vaati was fairly healthy and his depression was completely gone. He _was _improving.

It took Link almost two whole days to find what he'd been looking for--and then he'd even had to get Dr. Menda to lend him some shrunken rupees to pay for it. Vaati hadn't been kidding when he'd said it was rare.

On the evening of the second day, Link came up to Vaati's room with an extra special present for him--a chunk of chocolate. A chunk of this size would be less than a bite for a human, but right now, he had to use two hands just to hold it up. Just as he expected, Vaati was shocked and delighted and ate the whole thing, substituting it for a meal. It wasn't all that healthy, but Link didn't mind this time. He deserved it. And Vaati was the happiest he'd seen in a long time.

That night, Link settled down into his cot on the main floor of the workshop once again. The picori lawyers dropped off into slumber quickly, and he was beginning to doze off as well. He could sleep comfortable now that he knew Vaati was okay. He felt settled...almost like his normal self again. Gently, he felt something nudge against his arm.

"Mmmm?" he mumbled, in sleepy stupor. In this lulled, numb state, he wasn't even alarmed by the presence of some unknown person touching him.

_Nudge nudge_. "Ah...what?" Finally, Link opened his bleary eyes and turned his head to look at his assailant. The dark outline of a picori stood over his cot...but this picori was smaller, and its legs were much narrower than any of the lawyers'. He noticed the scant greenish light of the glowing mushroom in the corner shining off its pure white face--and illuminating its round red eyes. "Vaati?"

Vaati moved closer at the sound of his name. He knelt down onto the edge of the cot...and then he began to shift himself closer, into a reclining position. In another moment, Link felt a small body, something soft and plushy pushing against his chest, and long, thin arms resting around his waist. A soft, round little head snuggled into his shoulder.

Link's heart felt like it might burst--he was just too happy. He placed his hands over the head, holding it firmly there, in comfort. His smile was so radiant that it even seemed to light up the darkness surrounding them. "Vaati..." he whispered, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of his head. "...I love you."

Vaati's small head shifted upwards for a moment...reaching over towards him. And to Link's complete amazement, he soon felt the soft, warm little cushioins of Vaati's lips push against his own cheek. "I love you too."

Link never had a better night's sleep in his life.

(-)

Unfortunately, poor Vaati hadn't thought about the consequences the next morning. He awoke again to the uncomfortable sight of two lawyers, a banker, and a doctor staring at him. His eyes widened in anxiety, and the plush cuccoo he'd been clutching to his chest slipped out of his arms onto the ground. Unfortunately, Link was still snoring, happily next to him, still clamping one of his arms to his waist.

While the lawyers and the banker just continued staring, uneasily, Dr. Menda managed a welcoming smile. "Well! Good morning! It's wonderful to finally see you healthy again, though I didn't quite expect..."

Vaati yanked his arms out of Link's grasp, finally jolting the contented hero awoke. _Great_, he thought, _it's happening already. Why didn't I think of this before I came down?! They'd find out...about us. Stupid!!!  
_

"Eh...whaaaaa?" Link slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep fuzziness from his eyes. "Vaati? What's..." He stopped short when he noticed the other picori around them. "Oh. Good morning!"

The picori all murmured variations of the greeting, and Vaati just continued staring in wide-eyed confusion. Link slid to the other edge of the cot and got up, moving around to the front. "Um...Vaati's feeling better now, so he decided to come down and sleep next to me. We're kind of used to it by now since we've been traveling together so long."

Vaati frowned up at him. How long was he going to keep using that excuse? And for how long was the excuse going to _work_?

"That's great!" Dr. Menda replied. "I'm happy for you."

The other picori just remained silent. It was so silent...too silent.

"I-I'm sorry!" Vaati finally burst out, rising from the cot. "I...I didn't mean to yell at you all like that before. I just...didn't know what was going on, and..."

Finally, some of the tension broke out of the atmosphere, and the other picori began to chuckle. "Oh, that's okay. There's no reason to worry about that," the red-clad lawyer assured him, still chuckling a little. "We understand completely. We just wanted to make sure you were out of that period of mourning..."

"Yeah." At last, Vaati gave them a small, hesitant smile. "That's over. I'm fine now." Link stepped next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder, proudly.

"Well, excellent!" the banker agreed, enthusiastically. "Now we can finally start getting things done around here."

"Hey, hold on!" the green lawyer tried to settle him. "Don't push the boy. Give him a while to get comfortable! Geez, he just stepped out of his mourning, and you wanna spring funerals and successions on him already?!"

"Well, first things first," Dr. Menda announced, solidly. "Let's have some breakfast."

And they did--all six of them.

(-)

Just as the green lawyer suggested, they started out slowly that day--with basic possessions. Not surprisingly, Vaati wanted to keep almost all of the possessions in question--even the old objects that seemed like junk. The gears, the teaching charts, the various buttons, the old scraps of fabric... Vaati proclaimed that these were just as important as Ezlo's journal. "They're pieces of things in his life. I'm sure they were all important to him for some reason or another, so they're important to me too."

Some of the fabric scaps actually turned out to be leftovers from the fabric that went into the magical hat, though they held no power of their own. "Maybe I could make you a wishing scarf," Vaati jokingly told Link afterwards.

It was actually sort of fun, after they got used to it...going through all of Ezlo's old junk and trying to guess what it was going to be used for. Link couldn't help getting a little choked up when they were clearing out the potion shelf, though, and Vaati got all silent and serious while they went through the spellbooks. They even found a large, spread-out pieces of parchment containing the original plans and blueprints for the magic cap. Ezlo had wanted to come through the Door with Vaati to present it to the humans. Guilt again came over Vaati, and Link had to take a little break to console him before they could continue.

And then, Link re-discovered Ezlo's notes on the Elemental Sanctuary. He'd stashed them away, since he hadn't been able to read them, and then forgotten where he'd stashed them. Link and Vaati spent the rest of the night trying to decipher it. "Gee..." Link complained. "Ezlo's handwriting was terrible. I still can't read this at all--and I can read Picori now!"

"It says something about the Holy Sword," Vaati explained, pointing to one spot on the parchment."See that thing that says 4S? That's the abbreviation he always used. I have no idea why..."

"Oh, he used _abbreviations_?!" Link cried. "No wonder I can't make any sense of it!"

Two hours later, Vaati concluded that he was pretty sure they could use the allowing essence to open the Elemental Sanctuary, although Link wouldn't be able to see it. The only problem was trying to fuse the Secondary Elements into the Holy Sword. Ezlo had only written that they couldn't replace the four Primary Elements now in place and they'd need to combine each Secondary Element with a Primary somehow. There was no idea in the notes about how.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to figure it out when we get there," Link disappointedly told him. It's going to take a little longer."

Vaati nodded, rigidly. "Maybe I can figure it out." And so, for the rest of the night, he sat at the main workbench, studying silently. Nothing really came of it, and he actually ended up dozing off on his work again. Vaati always had a habit of falling asleep while trying to study. _I bet that drove Ezlo up a wall_, Link amusedly thought.

They took a few more days for this type of work before broaching the topic. It was like heaven--almost reminiscent of those happy, dreamlike days they'd spent together at Hyrule Castle. They were made all the sweeter by the fact that Link had never thought days like these would come again. He loved snuggling with Vaati's picori body--feeling all the new, different nuances. His hips were still oddly narrow for a picori, though, and his cheeks were a little too angular. He could feel the strange bone structure of his long nose.

Though Vaati seemed comfortable and receptive at all times, he wouldn't let him touch his chest. He usually kept the stuffed cucco tucked in front of him, between their bodies when they slept. Strangely enough, Link was allowed to touch others parts of his body--his feet, his legs--just not his chest. He couldn't help thinking that something was still the matter. Vaati still wasn't telling him something. _I still don't know what he was screaming about all those days ago..._ he realized.

During the second day, he was just sitting at one of the workbenches, alone, while Vaati and the lawyers made up some paperwork, trying to figure it out. He just couldn't understand what the big issue with his chest was. And then, suddenly, he dimly recalled it. There was something there. That strange lumpy feeling of Vaati's body. Yes! That was it! He remembered it now! When he'd pressed his head to his chest, he had felt it. There had been a little lump on his chest.

Link frowned. It couldn't just be a bruise--it was too big of a bump. Why would he have...?

Link started back from the table in shock, though thankfully, no one noticed. _Ohmygosh! That's it! _He couldn't believe it, but it all made perfect sense. He knew it. _Vaati is really a girl! That's it! That explains everything! That's why, that time before...he asked me if I liked boys or girls! And that's why he...er, she, didn't want me to touch him-her! She knew I'd feel her boobs and find out! _

Link returned to his serious pondering position a moment later. Something was wrong with this new theory of his... _But what about all those times before--when he was topless? Maybe he--or she just began to develop. Still--I wouldn't think any girl would be comfortable around a guy without a top on--even if she was completely flat-chested. And at the castle...he acted like he'd never worn a dress before. Was...was it all some kind of elaborate act? Why would he--er, she, need to disguise himherself as a boy? And that closely? If she was trying that hard, why didn't she cut her hair? _

Link was so confused. All that he knew was that he just wasn't used to calling Vaati a "she", so he decided to stick with "he" for now. He found himself staring closely at Vaati's body from this distance. It was just useless. He was wearing his robes baggy and loose to cover up his breasts...if they even were breasts. Female picori had very tiny breasts...

"What are you staring at?" Link popped out of his reverie when Vaati turned and good-naturedly snapped at him.

"Uh...just...thinking."

Vaati smirked a little, as if to say, "Yeah, _I _know what you were thinking about." Amazingly enough, Vaati had begun teasing and flirting with him...even in front of the lawyers. None of them really seemed to understand what was going on between them, though Dr. Menda was a little suspicious.

"So did you hear anything at all? Or were you just too busy daydreaming?"

"Erm..." Link could feel his cheeks prickling in embarrassment. "Could you recount the last five minutes?"

Vaati lightly giggled. "Okay, okay...just don't look at me. Anyway, we were deciding that I should keep the potions and the extra pieces to the projects. The banker officially signed them over to me from possession by the bank. And this house is definitely mine now. We were just starting to plan out Ezlo's funeral proceedings..."

Vaati turned back around, including the other picori into the conversation before he continued. "...And it doesn't really matter to him. He just wants a sandwich."

Everyone stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"It's true!" Vaati protested. "I talked to him!"

The stares grew even more boggled.

Vaati crossed his little skinny arms and pouted, rather cutely. "Well, fine, don't believe me, but it's the truth."

"...Okay..." the red lawyer finally spoke up. "Well, um...we'll arrange something... How are we going to put a sandwich into the ceremony? I don't think the general populace will quite understand..."

"_I'll _take care of the sandwich," Vaati proudly insisted. "I'm going to make it myself."

"All right...you'll be in charge of the, uh...sandwich," the banker told him, awkwardly. "Now we just need to know if..." Automatically, he turned to look back at the second workbench behind them, and everyone else's eyes followed. Vaati's eyes were especially large.

The staff. The long, wooden bird staff lied on the center of the bench, exactly where it had always been. No one had moved it an inch...it had even been there the night that Ezlo had died. No one else felt that they had a right to. Only one other person would be able to hold it. Link finally moved and sat beside Vaati for comfort. It had to be decided. Now.

The red-clad lawyer turned back around to face him, his jewely brown eyes deep. "Now...remember, boy, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. You can simply walk away and never have to worry about this responsibility again. You can leave it up to someone else--possibily someone older. The one problem is, there is no one else more experienced and better qualified than you are now. Though Master Ezlo never got to finish your training, you still know much more about magic than any other living picori. You need to think about what's best for us..._and _what's best for yourself. There is currently a lot of animosity around the idea of your succeeding Master Ezlo. The choice is yours. No pressure!"

Vaati smiled, grimly...then turned back towards the workbench. He could imagine it now... It would take many hard months of studying by himself. Terrible, arduous months... The other picori wouldn't accept him. If he had a succession ceremony, they would be gossiping about him...saying that he didn't deserve it, that he was going to lead them all down a path of terrible destruction, accusing him of killing Ezlo himself just to take over his position. Vaati closed his eyes and imagined it for a moment. Awful...horrible...it hurt so much...would he be able to live with that?

_Maybe it's best if I leave the job up to someone else. Everyone will accept him or her...and I'll be able to live a happy life in the shadows with Link. But...but what if the person they choose isn't able to do it? It's very hard to learn the magical crafts. Very few picori have the talent for magic...though everyone wants to learn. Everyone is trying to get a hold of Ezlo's stuff. What if...some other, selfish picori manages to get his or her paws on the title? That wouldn't be serving the people...that would be neglecting them...giving them a corrupt leader. Though they think that _I'll _be a corrupt leader. But I'm not. I know I'm not. I just have to get everyone else to believe it. _

Vaati saw Ezlo again, in his mind. That mysterious little smile on his warm, gentle old face. Calm. Loving. Forgiving. _It doesn't matter. He said it didn't matter to him--I will always make him proud. But...but I want to do something. If not to make him proud--to feel as if I've earned his pride. To keep on making him proud. I want to do something for him. _

Vaati took a deep breath. His eyes fell back on the bird staff. It seemed almost holy somehow...like Ezlo's spirit was still hovering there around it...like he'd placed a piece of himself and his power inside it. A magical aura formed an invisible halo around it. It didn't matter. Their animosity didn't matter. He couldn't let them rule his life. He clenched his jaw tightly...and at last, he bowed his head, respectfully. "...Yes."

Link and the other picori turned toward him in gentle awe.

"I want to follow in Master Ezlo's footsteps. No matter how difficult it may be, I want to do this. I want him to see me trying...I want to work hard, and maybe someday I could even make it up to his level. I want to continue studying and refining my magic power. You can...you can go ahead and schedule the succession ceremony."

Link fitted his arm around his neck. He could only imagine how difficult this was for him. Vaati would need his support to pull through this ceremony. But it had to be done. This was his chance to show the rest of the picori world that he wasn't just going to back down and submit to their gibes--a piece of his original plan to win back his respect.

The red-clad lawyer pressed his lips together as he stared down into his datebook. Even he seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation. "Well..." he finally spoke again. "How would you feel about having a small, quick one immediately following the funeral?"

Vaati brought a finger up over Link's arms, poking at his chin as he thought. This might only support the theory that he had killed Ezlo himself...but it would also get the whole ordeal over with quicker. At last, Vaati nodded in agreement. "Yeah, okay--you can schedule it. I just want it to be over with."

The lawyer penciled something into the leaflet. "Okay, then. It's decided. Master Ezlo's funeral, immediately followed by your succession ceremony, has been set for four days from today. I'll start sending out the official date announcements..."

Vaati twisted his head around and smiled grimly at his Link-scarf. There was no taking it back now.

_...Hey...look at where my arms are... _Terribly enough, Link's mind began to stray again, thinking about Vaati's chest mystery. _He's letting me put them around his neck, and his shoulders...I'm so close... This is my chance! _Link swiftly swept his arms down his body, hoping to get a chance to feel that strange lump again.

Vaati immediately leaped out of his arms, crossing his arms over his chest and clutching his own shoulders. He stared at Link with wide, panicked eyes. Link sighed and tried to hide his face in shame. He'd told Vaati that he'd never do anything he wasn't comfortable with...

Vaati's frightened expression gently dissolved again, and he sighed along with him. "You know... You know already, don't you? I just can't hide anything from you..."

Link stared back at him in confusion. _He knows I know he's a girl? Is that what he--she means? But...but I want _him_ to tell_ me. _I don't want to have to force it out of him. I want him to know that he can trust me with anything. I want him to feel comfortable. _

He shook his head, despondently. "I don't know. All I know is that you won't let me touch you there, and you're not telling me why. You have to tell me why. I mean, I don't mind if you don't want me to touch you there, but I don't understand why not. It's not a private area...for _boys_. Is it...is it some picori thing? Or your scar? Is your scar hurting?

Vaati scowled. _He won't say it. He must have felt it--he just won't say it. I've got to tell him some time. Ezlo told me to tell him. I've got to tell him...everything...even _that. He gulped to swallow the little lump of anxiety forming in his throat. "O-Okay..."

Link's eyes widened.

"I-I'll tell you. Tonight. I promise. After we finish this paperwork, okay?"

Link lowered his head in accordance. "Okay."

Then, Vaati turned back around, and headed back over to the table where the lawyers were still deliberating over an old antique vase.

Link couldn't believe it. It had all happened so fast. Finally, he would get to learn more...finally, he'd know everything there was to know about Vaati. A shiver of excitement, but also of fear traveled through him. Vaati was about to share with him his closest, more private secrets. What in the world could they be?

(-)

The instant the lawyers broke up and slipped the last piece of paper into their little briefcases made out of ribbons, Link opened his mouth.

His voice died in his throat when Vaati turned around, giving him a sigh and a strained smile. "Okay..." he spoke up, softly. "Come on upstairs."

Link trembled so much with anticipation that he could barely even climb the stairs straight. Though he didn't notice, Vaati was trembling just as much. He had to use his large picori feet to grip onto the stairs.

He opened the door to his bedroom, letting Link in behind him, and then began to secure the entire room. Link watched with growing trepidation as Vaati shut and locked the door behind them, placed a round wooden cover over the circular window above his bed, and then drew the curtains over it. Then, he lowly chanted come sort of spell and waved his hand over the doorway, tracing it. "A-All right," he decided. "Could you go on the other side for a moment and tell me if you hear anything?"

Link stepped out into the hallway, Vaati shut the door after him, and he listened very closely, straining his ears. A minute later, Vaati poked his head back out the door to fetch him. "Okay. You didn't hear anything, right?"

"No..."

_Oh! _Link finally realized. _Soundproofing. Gee...does he really have to go _that_ far? _He heard the door click lightly into place again behind him...and then the additional clack of the lock.

Link looked back up again...into that face. Vaati's face was so familiar to him now, even the picori version. He had memorized all of its little details, things probably no one else but him recognized: the very slightly darker spots of skin of his cheeks, the more gradual point of his nose, the way his right eye seemed to twitch slightly when he was agitated... But all of a sudden, it was foreign to him again. Vaati was a complete stranger right now.

"Link, I... There's something I've been hiding from you, and I...need to let you know. It's not fair. I haven't been fair to you...keeping this secret. It's...a really big, sensitive one."

"I know."

Vaati's big, bright red eyes got even bigger.

Link set his jaw, determinedly and clenched his fists. "You're really a girl, aren't you?"

"..." Vaati's mouth fell open. "...Pfffheeheeheehee!!!"

Link frowned and crossed his arms, confusedly.

"You...you thought... You thought that was... Teeheeheehee!"

Link tapped his foot and waited, grudgingly, for Vaati to stop laughing and give him an explanation.

"Er...heehee...I'm...I'm not a girl."

"That much is obvious to me now."

Vaati forced himself to stand straight up again and dust off his robes, and his face fell again. "Hehem! Well...I brought you here to tell you what it really is..." His fingers curled, nervously, over the long blue collar of his picori robes. "I didn't want to tell you, because I was just...trying to protect you. I didn't understand what it was and what it meant. I _still _don't really understand...but I know it's not dangerous. So you, uh...don't have to worry."

Link's innocent blue eyes widened on his long, twitching fingers.

Vaati managed a small, nervous smile and began to unbutton the collar. "I'm going to show it to you. Promise you won't scream."

"Uh...I promise." _Scream? _

And before he knew it, Vaati was pulling his robe off, up over his head. His conical, ivory-colored body emerged from between the purple and blue leaves of fabric, leaving him in just a pair of dark blue pants. There was that small lump on his chest. And then...it opened. It split open, vertically, right in the middle. Something red rolled up into that space.

Link was speechless--he couldn't even scream if he wanted to. It was an eye. A large, red eyeball was staring at him from the center of Vaati's chest. It looked like it had grown and blossomed straight out of the spot where he had stabbed himself so long ago. It winked at him.

Vaati smiled a little again, thinly. His long, leathery bat wings sprouted out of his back, flexing around him. "Look familiar?"

"Uh...euh...whuh..." Of all the things Link had thought up to try to explain that lump on his chest, he would've never suspected this. He'd thought of the scar before--he'd thought it might be some kind of bruise on his scar, or an infected swelling. He'd thought he might've tried to stab himself again, and reopened it somehow. But how could he ever have guessed that an eyeball had grown out of his chest?

Link blinked and blinked in amazement. "S-So...what...? You're not...you're not... Are you?"

Vaati shook his head. "That's what I thought. But I'm not. I'm not going to completely transform. But I am getting these..._features_. Ezlo said that they're "gifts". I haven't _killed _my darkness...I've come to terms with it and made peace with it. Now I'm gainings its powers. It's...melding with me, I guess."

Link tried to stop himself from gaping. He pulled his jaw back up and shook himself. "So..._that_ was what you were screaming about, wasn't it? That day before...when you wouldn't let me in..."

Vaati nodded. "I was kind of panicking. I thought I was really turning into a monster this time. I'm sorry...I should've just let you in. It would've been a lot better if you'd been there. And I realize now that...that I can't do anything to stop you from caring about me."

"Nah, it's okay." Gently, Link moved a little closer, staring at the chest-eyeball."I would be pretty freaked out too if I just woke up one day and a giant eyeball was growing out of my chest." He finally reached out, and the eyeball closed up, allowing him to place his hand, softly over it.

Vaati smiled, and his wings gave an involuntary flutter. But then...his face immediaely darkened again. "It's not fair to you." Link began to feel his shoulder shuddering. "I shouldn't keep this kind of secret from you. Especially being your...lover..."

"No, no," Link comfortingly rubbed that smooth, white shoulder. "I can understand. You were afraid of it. You thought I would be just as frightened by it. It's only natural that you wanted to keep it a secret from me."

"N-No..." Vaati's body was shaking again, and he closed his other two eyes. "That's not what I'm talking about."

Link frowned and finally removed his hand in concern. "What? Have you got a tail or something too? Are you growing claws? Or horns?"

"No..." Tears were beginning to form at the edges of his eyes.

Link sorely wanted to wipe them up and offer some kind of comfort, but restrained himself for now. Touching Vaati right now might only further upset him. "You have _more _little secrets? Besides the eyeball? Will wonders never cease?"

Vaati was still trembling, but a smile broke over his lips for a moment. "I...wouldn't really call it a wonder. I...I don't want to tell you at all, but I know I have to. We're together now, as a couple, and you have a right to know. I mean, if I didn't tell you, you'd eventually find out for yourself..." He took a deep breath and sucked in his tears, though his voice became suddenly teary and uncontrolled. "I'm just afraid. I like the way we are right now. I don't want that to change."

"If you're talking about our relationship, that'll never change!" Link suddenly burst out. "Even if you turned into a giant eyeball demon, I don't think I'd be able to stop loving you. Nothing about you will ever change that!"

Vaati sniffled and rubbed his face against his arm. "I hope so. Because you'll never be able to think about me in the same way after..."

By now, Link was even starting to feel choked up himself, just realizing that Vaati felt this way. "I'll always love you, no matter how many 'horrible' secrets you have."

A terrible, tense silence fell over the room. _"You have to tell him, Vaati...you have to allow yourself to believe what you keep seeing--over and over again." _

"Come on," Link gently urged. "Tell me. I'm waiting."

"...I-I can't just tell you," Vaati objected. "It's the same as the eyeball. You wouldn't believe me if I just told you. So I have to show you."

"Then show me. I'm waiting."

Vaati started forward on wobbly, round legs. He reached the window and drew the shades tighter together, so there were no holes at all between them. Then, he pushed his bookcase in front of the door, blocking the little sliver at the bottom of the door and the keyhole. Gee...he was really serious about making sure no one else could possibly see in. Could it really be that bad? What could be worse than having a third eyeball in the center of your chest?

"O-Okay." Vaati could barely speak. "I'll...show you."

Link's breath caught and he could scarcely catch any air. He felt his cheeks begin to flare up and his heart begin to pound. Vaati's hands had lifted up to his waist. He had to do this, and Link couldn't look away. His eyes were transfixed on that spot.

Then, slowly, Vaati's trembling hands began to shakily undo the button on his pants.

(-)

Complete utter silence reigned over the bedroom. No one else was in the room, but a miniature green mushroom cast an eerie glow over the bed. Link sat at the edge on the left side, staring into the natural lamp. Vaati sat next to him, every muscle tensed and staring into the blue-clad lap just below. It was so quiet, but so loud at the same time.

Vaati began to tremble. Vaati just couldn't take it anymore. "I knew it!" that familiar light voice broke out. "You feel awkward being around me now. I...I'll just leave... I knew you'd feel this way..."

Link quickly reached over to grab that pale, slender wrist before it had a chance to retreat. "Actually," he replied, in all complete seriousness. "I was just thinking. I was trying to figure out what I should call you."

Vaati nervously grimaced at him, head tilted. "Call me anything you want. I can be whatever you want me to be."

"No, I was trying to come up with a new pronoun," Link explained. "I was thinking of calling you 'e', but I don't know what to do about the possessive..."

Strangely enough, Vaati began to laugh. Of all the things Link would consider first... "No one else would understand what you're talking about. I can see the confused looks on their faces now."

"Well, what do you want to be called?" Link asked. Then, he paused. "No, I know what you want to be called. How stupid of me."

Vaati smiled. "Yeah. I'd like to remain a boy. That's what Ezlo decided I would be--probably to make it easier to appoint me as his apprentice. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is in our world--female apprentices are rare, especially to important crafts like mining and spellweaving. And I grew up believing I was a boy until he gave me my little anatomy lesson. Th-that is, if you don't mind. Really, it doesn't much matter if you want me to be a girl instead. Actually, it would be better for our relationship. It would be easier for us...since gay people are so looked down upon...

"No," Link firmly decided. "You should be what you want to be, and not what makes anything 'easier'. Besides--you've been a boy for so long that I couldn't get used to otherwise."

Vaati smiled again. "Me neither. You know how much I hate wearing dresses."

Link chuckled at the memory. "So...so nothing _happened_, right? It's not like you got anything cut off..."

Vaati shook his head. "Nope. I was just born like this. I know, it's weird. My parents were still trying to decide whether to call me a boy or a girl when they died. They couldn't just let me remain genderless."

Link's blue eyes lit up as he suddenly recalled something. "That's what your mom meant about 'making a decision', wasn't it?"

Vaati nodded. "And if you noticed, she never called me her son, or even 'him', just 'my child' and 'it'. And my name is actually a unisex picori name--Vaati can be a boy's name or a girl's name. It's like...Sam. Or Taylor."

Link bobbed his head along in accordance. Once again...something he'd never expected. He'd spent so long trying to figure out Vaati's gender...he'd never imagined the possibility of him not having a gender at all. But it didn't matter to him at all. So what? He just had a few little pieces of his body missing. _I wonder if that means it's okay to touch him there... _Link quickly shook himself out of that slightly disturbing thought. _No...no, not until he's ready. He could still be sensitive. _

"You know what? I think it's great!" Link finally spoke up. "You don't have anything you have to cover up. You could walk around naked all the time if you wanted to."

Vaati burst into a fit of giggles. "N-No, I couldn't! I have...other holes, you know. How do you think I go to the bathroom?"

Silence. Vaati's giggles stopped, and both of them suddenly turned very, very red in the face. "Eurgh...well...anyway..." Link desperately tried to cleanse his mind of its last disturbing image. "Okay...now...that was too much information."

Vaati cringed and tried to hide his tomato-red cheeks. "Won't happen again."

Link released a small chuckle and calmed himself down by reaching over and stroking Vaati's hair. Vaati soon began to calm down too, and snuggled closer. "You know, I always thought you were just too pretty to be a guy," Link mused, as he threaded the silky purple strands through his fingers. "But too...smooth to be a girl."

"Mmm." Vaati didn't really feel like talking anymore. He pressed his hands into Link's chest and tucked his head under his chin.

Link kissed the top of his head and continued stroking. "Your hair is too short in this form. I miss the big long pieces over your ears."

"S'okay...it's going to get longer. I'm going to be Ezlo's successor, remember? That means I have to grow my hair down to my feet."

"Mmmm...that'd be beautiful."

Vaati's wings curled up and disappeared again, so they wouldn't get in the way.

A shiver of excitement passed through Link's heart when he felt Vaati's soft lips press against his neck. Somehow, they eventually ended up lying down together in the bed again. This time, there was no stuffed cucco in the way...and Vaati was still half-dressed.

Link took this opportunity to feel the soft, bare skin of his torso. He massaged his back, kissed his stomach, and stroked his chest-eye. He constantly worried about it while they cuddled. "Are you okay? It doesn't hurt, does it? Am I poking you in the eye?"

Vaati just giggled, assuring him that he was fine. "It doesn't matter--it's not like I can see out of it or anything. I just wish I could make it disappear, like I do with the wings."

That became a joke between them as they happily snuggled together for the rest of the night. Sometimes, during a quiet moment, Link would say something like, "Now where are we going to find you a giant monocle?" or "Hey--stop staring at me!" And Vaati was set off giggling again. Everything was fine. Everything was really fine.

_I'm so stupid_, Vaati couldn't help thinking, as he contentedly squished his lips against Link's firm, warm, gentle cheek. Such a wonderful person...there was such a loving, compassionate, selfless soul inside of him. No wonder he was a hero. _I should have realized, a long time ago. When Link says "nothing will ever make me stop loving you"...he _means _that nothing will ever make him stop loving me. It's time I trusted him. It's time I started believing him. It's time I allowed myself to love him...and it's time I allowed him to love me. We _can. _We _can _be together. And I want to be together with him for all eternity. _

(-)

Vaati just got better and better for the next two days. There was nothing much to do while they waited for the day of the funeral to arrive. They'd decided to leave for Hyrule Castle right after the ceremony had completed. Hopefully that ambiguous black-robed man still hadn't done anything yet.

Naturally, Vaati began apologizing profusely when he remembered their mission, lamenting that the whole world could've been taken over by dark forces while he was wallowing in self-pity. Link had just chuckled, patted him on the head, and said, "Well, then stop wallowing in self-pity."

Vaati quickly agreed and asked him for another sword-training session, though they had to use twigs instead. He pored over his spellbooks for the remainder of the night.

Link introduced Vaati to Dr. Menda and explained how he'd helped save him. He also became the first one to know about their relationship. The forest picori doctor was very kind and receptive to the idea, and Vaati even let him give him a quick basic checkup to see how he was doing. He was still a little underweight, but otherwise healthy. At least now, his formerly oval-shaped legs were becoming normal chubby, round things again. Vaati was so amazingly comfortable with it all, that he was even thinking about making Menda his main doctor.

But the nights were always the best part. The first night they just cuddled. Then, the next, they had a pillow fight. That time, Vaati had had to soundproof the room again because they were making too much noise. It was just so wonderful--both of them could be free with their emotions now. However, Link held off on kissing him mouth-to-mouth for now. He wanted their first kiss to be special somehow. Hopefully, the right moment would come soon, because the wait was driving him nuts. After all, this was mostly Vaati's time to explore _his _body.

Vaati admitted on the third night that he'd never been particularly interested in Link's body before. "Well, it's just natural. I'm not attracted to your body. Uh...n-not that I don't think you're attractive! You are, really, I just..."

"You don't feel sexual attraction," Link explained. "I understand."

Vaati nodded. "That doesn't mean I can't still feel love. I...I do love you...just not your body. I mean, I _do _like your body! I just don't love it. N-No, it's not...!" Vaati sighed in frustration, and pressed himself closer into Link's torso. "It's like...I love your essence...your soul. It doesn't matter what your body looks like."

At first, Link had felt a bit offended, but he was beginning to realize what Vaati meant now. He'd always look the same in Vaati's eyes, no matter if he grew warts all over his face, started walking with a hunched back, or gained two hundred pounds. There was nothing that would ever make him unattractive, because Vaati was attracted to his soul instead of his body. "That's wonderful," he could only whisper in amazement.

"I do kind of like your chest, though," Vaati added, resting the back of his head against it. "It's nice and firm, without being too hard..."

Link smiled and laced his hands gently over the little lump of his chest-eyeball. "Hmm...what does this do anyway?" he wondered aloud. "You already said you can't see out of it."

"I don't think it _does_ anything," Vaati replied. "It's just a big eyeball...in the middle of my chest. That's where it was before. What purpose could it serve?"

"Well, there has to be some reason..." Link stroked the surface of the round eyelid. "Some people believe that having a third eye allows you to see into the future."

Vaati giggled. "If I had been able to see into the future, I wouldn't have waited so long to tell you everything."

Link frowned. _There has to be _something_. Vaati said that he's gaining the powers of his darker side... He's already been granted the gift of flight... What kind of gift could this be? An eye... An eye on his chest... He has an eye right over his heart..._

Link froze. Gently, he pulled a reluctant Vaati off of him and sat him up on the bed beside him. "I have an idea," he proclaimed. "I want you to try something for me."

Vaati gave him a questioning look. "Uh...just what do you want me to try?"

"Don't worry, it won't be too hard. Just...just close your eyes for a moment."

"_All_ of them?" Vaati asked, glancing down at his chest. "Because I can't really control when this one closes. It just closes automatically when it's threatened."

"No." Link took his shoulders in his hands and turned him so that he was directly facing him. "Just your normal eyes. I want your third eye to remain open. And you have to keep facing me. Don't turn away from me."

"Okay..." Vaati had no idea what Link was trying to do, but he closed his eyes nonetheless. "D-Don't poke it."

"I'm not going to poke it!"

"O-Okay."

Link released his shoulders and waited a few seconds. "...So what do you see?"

Vaati scowled in confusion. "Uh...my eyes are closed. I don't see anything."

Link took a deep breath. "Okay. Wait a little longer. Tell me if you see anything." He looked down at the large, deep red eye in the middle of his chest. No...it wasn't set yet. Suddenly, it blinked. Then it moved towards him...and focused straight across, into his own chest. Link took a slow deep breath. It was working...

Vaati's mouth slid open. "I...I see something..."

"What is it?" Link whispered. He didn't want to break the connection now.

"I don't know... It looks like...buildings. No, now there's hills. There's a ranch. There's a lake. There's a swamp. There's clouds. There's a mountain...Mt. Crenel? There's...Hyrule Castle... There's so much...it looks like the whole country."

Link looked down at the covers of the bed. _Wow...I didn't even realize..._

Vaati's brow knitted a little, and his chest eye blinked. "Now, I'm seeing something different. A man? It looks like your grandfather...but he's wearing a deep green tunic...and he's smiling. He looks so...relaxed."

Link wondered for a moment just what he was getting himself into. What kind of things would come up next?

"A brown blanket...a little train...the inside of your house...a big room with a bunch of desks. Marbles...there are marbles on the ground, inside this big white circle." His chest-eye blinked again, concentrating. "I see a little girl. She's got blond hair to her chin...and big, blue eyes...and a pink ribbon and dress. She's laughing and climbing on the roots of a tree. Is that...Zelda? Was that what she looked like when she was little?"

Link cringed. Oh, gosh...this was just getting worse... When would he reach the end?

Vaati paused. His eye blinked and rolled around, as if taking a moment to process before focusing again. His eyebrows scrunched, confusedly, over his closed eyelids. "...Who's that?"

Link looked up again. He knew. As soon as Vaati asked, he knew what he was seeing, and he just had to watch the reaction.

"It...it looks like a Goddess...but it's not one of Hyrule's Goddesses... At least I don't recognize her... She's looking out a window... At least, she looks like she is. She won't look at me. She's just sitting in front of it. She's got...long, purple hair..."

Link held in his breath. All he could do now was wait for it.

"N-No..." Vaati realized, his expression full of awe. "It's not a girl... It's some sort of entity. I-It's glowing. It's got this light, gentle glow... It's...beautiful." Suddenly, his eyebrows squeezed together, painfully. His calm expression transformed into one of terrible sorrow. "I-It's crying. It won't look at me. Why is it crying? It's so beautiful and...pure. I-I don't understand!" Tears were beginning to form at the edges of his own eyes--he was completely overwhelmed by the sight. "Please, stop! It's going to hurt itself if it doesn't stop crying. It might die! We have to stop it! If such a beautiful thing were to perish like this..."

Link couldn't take it anymore. Finally, he reached out and placed a hand on his bony shoulder. "Vaati..."

His eyes immediately popped open again, and his eye lost contact, rolling away and retreating into its eyelid. "Wh-Wha...?" Vaati desperately blinked, trying to dry his forming tears. "Link? What just happened?!"

Link took a slow, deep breath. "I knew it. I know what that is now. I know what it's used for. It's wonderful. You have been gifted with an amazing power..."

Vaati could only blink his wide picori eyes again in pure confusion.

Link moved closer and squeezed his other hand over his right shoulder. "That eye doesn't see the world around it--it sees into other people's hearts."

"...Into people's hearts?" Vaati was stunned. Then, he lowered his head a bit. "You mean, just now...that was what's in your heart? Well, I guess it makes sense. Hyrule...Zelda...your grandfather... But what was that, just before you interrupted me? That weeping Goddess...?"

"That was you."

Vaati was paralyzed. He stared into Link's large, pure, sky-blue pools. He was telling the truth. "Me?" he whispered. "But...but I don't look anything like that. I'm not that...beautiful and pure..."

Link took his face in his hands now, caressing his snow-white cheeks with his thumbs. He felt like his chest might burst. "...That's what you look like in my heart."

Vaati reached up to hold his arms. Suddenly, he felt like his chest was going to burst open too. "So...why am I crying?"

Link rubbed the slightly damp corner of his left eye with his thumb. "You tell me." He pressed his lips right over that spot, and Vaati closed his left eye. His soft eyelashes tickled his lips.

"I...I don't know." Gradually, Vaati smiled again, and moved his hands up around Link's neck. "So...I guess I should stop, huh?"

Link pulled away again, gazing lovingly into his face. "Yes. You've got to stop. You've got to build up your strength again...and you've got to stay strong. I'm sure, Vaati, that you'd be even more beautiful if you could stop crying and look at me. If that's how beautiful you were from the back, imagine how breath-taking your face would be."

And this time, Vaati knew. He knew what he was talking about, and he felt the very same thing. At last he cared...he could care about himself.

(-)

At long last, the morning of the funeral had arrived. Link had all of his things packed up in his pouch, since they'd be leaving for the castle right after Vaati's succession ceremony, and the four picori were all wearing their best dress robes. Dr. Menda had borrowed an outfit from one of the lawyers so he wouldn't be wearing common forest picori leaves, though he still retained his traditional red cap. The five of them were clustered in the workshop, waiting for Vaati to come down.

Link tapped anxiously on the wood of the workbench in front of him. He better not have chickened out.

Just when he was about to call out to him to make sure he was coming, he heard the clicking of a door from above and the soft thumping footfalls of a young picori on the stairs. He perked his head up in interest.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Vaati stepped down into the room, smiling lightly...only something was different about him.

Link's eyes stretched wider. His mouth opened to say something, but he couldn't get the words out. "Huhhh...haaaaaahhh..." Vaati turned towards him, cocking his head in curiosity. Link lifted his hand at last and pointed to his head. "Huh...Hah...H-H-Hah..."

Vaati burst into giggles. He reached up and gripped the brim of the little deep blue, curving hat above his head with the purple swirl up the side. "Heeheehee...you like it?"

"H-H-Hah-Hat!!!" Link finally excalimed. "You're wearing your hat! You're finally wearing you hat! I can't believe it!"

"Well, I kind of have to," Vaati said, somewhat defensively. "Picori aren't supposed to go out in public without a hat on...except for Elders, that is."

Link lowered his hand again, staring at him, and frowned.

"But...but I wanted to wear it anyway," Vaati added. "It doesn't bother me anymore."

Link's smile perked right back up. "That's what I wanted to hear."

Vaati looked around at the group of determinedly solemn picori around him. "So are we ready to go?"

"We were waiting for you," the red lawyer spoke up. "You're the one who has to take us there."

Vaati gazed confusedly back at him.

The green lawyer stepped away, drawing his attention over to the table on which the wooden bird staff sat. "You're the only one allowed to touch it."

Vaati took a deep breath. He hadn't been expecting this, though he had wondered how they were going to get to the forest shrine, where the funeral was being held, so quickly. Slowly, he stepped up to the table. He didn't want to--but he had to. He was going to have to touch it eventually, during the ceremony...so why not get a little practice using it now?

He exhaled gently. It was just so...peaceful. Holy. Being acute to the essence of magic in the world, Vaati could sense the presence of Ezlo's spirit emanating from around the staff. He was probably watching him right now... waiting...wondering.

Vaati smiled. Then, he gently reached out and lifted it with both hands. He brought it down, in front of him, and at last, it stood proud and upright once again. A warm glow washed through his curling hand.

The picori began to cluster around him, so Link did the same, and placed a hand over his shoulder. Vaati beamed. They were counting on him now.

And then, with one magical word, and a quick tap of the staff, all of them vanished from the workshop with a quick _pop_.

(-)

Link didn't even realize what happened at first. One instant, he was staring at the potion bottles lining the shelves in the back of Ezlo's workshop, and the next, he was staring at the smooth, stone contours of the Deepwood Shrine, framed by a crowd of little round faces. He blinked. He felt Vaati's shoulder underneath his hand again, and noticed the four picori around him. A terrific roar of noise burst into his hearing range. "V-Vaati!" he recognized, with a jolt. "You teleported us!"

"No kidding." Vaati didn't look too pleased with himself. He ducked his head and automatically lowered the magic staff.

That was when Link noticed their surroundings. They were in front of the Deepwood Shrine, that was for sure, by the large stone building in front of them, the bright green grass, and the cobblestone pathway...but there was a thread rope framing the little road they were on...and it was holding back two enormous crowds of picori.

Link couldn't help but goggle at the size of the crowds. That roar he had heard was the sound of all of them breaking into babble at once. He hadn't even believed that this many picori _existed_ in the world. There was such a high concentration of picori in this one tiny spot, that even an adult might be able to see them if they passed close enough.

"Oh, goodness..." the banker spoke up. "I didn't know _this _would happen."

"But we only sent the news out to the tribe elders and Master Ezlo's old customers!" the green lawyer protested.

"Well, you know how news gets around," the red lawyer replied. "All the ones we told probably told their wives, their husbands, and everyone else and his brother. I...didn't realize it would be this bad, though." He gave a sympathetic smile to Vaati. "Good luck at your ceremony." He and the others ducked underneath the rope and into the crowd, only to be bombared with a stream of yelled questions.

Vaati shivered. The entire world was watching him now and whispering about him...mostly not positive things.

Dr. Menda, the only picori remaining of the four, smiled and made a little bow to Link and Vaati. "Well, I guess this is farewell, for now...though I have a feeling I'll be seeing a lot more of you two in the future."

Link smiled back, and Vaati bowed back to him. "Thank you, Dr. Menda," they said, almost in unison.

The doctor chuckled...then waved as he, too, disappeared back into the crowd. A second later, ten picori lunged at him, nearly smothering him underneath them.

Link tried to get Vaati to move into the crowd with them, but he couldn't. "Link..." he lowly whispered. "As much as I hate standing here in the center with everyone staring at me, it'll be even worse if I try to walk among them. Didn't you see what they did to Menda and the others? Imagine what they'd do to me!"

"I'll protect you," Link replied, putting his hands solidly on his hips.

Vaati sighed. "Link, you _are_ strong, but you're still no match for twenty full-grown picori charging at full speed."

"But they're just little picori!"

"They're raging mad little picori, that's what they are. And they've got very sharp teeth."

Link scowled. Yeah. That didn't sound like fun.

As he stretched his head up, searching for somewhere that looked safe, a few picori in the crowd caught his eye. There was Elder Jenta close to the shrine, a cluster of forest picori around him. The one standing right next to him was wearing strange, oversized gloves. There was Elder Bukuta, easily recognizable by the giant cucco feather in his hand. A young female town picori in a yellow robe and with a blond ponytail stood at his side. There, in the back was the broad body of Master Melta, easily the biggest picori in the crowd. He and the other seven mountain picori had come all the way down from Mt. Crenel to be here. He squinted, trying to find Chilta among them. He had to be there.

For the first time, when Link looked up again, he noticed the abnormally large bulb-like seed sitting on a large base in front of the shrine. What in the world was that for? Maybe it had something to do with the funeral ritual. Standing directly in front of it was another familiar figure.

"Festa!" Link burst out, instantly running up to the forest picori priest and yanking Vaati along behind him. "I didn't expect to see you! Are you going to be conducting the funeral?"

Festa was in his long, red priest's robe again, the tall, elaborate hat covering his head. Other than the hat, he looked strangely bald. He pushed his overly large glasses up his round nose and smiled to his old acquaintance. "Hey, yo, there! Which way is up?!"

Link scowled in confusement at his jumbled-up slang. "Er...I have no idea. I tend to have a little trouble with 'up' myself..."

Vaati discretely rolled his eyes behind him. "I think he means 'what's up'..."

Festa shook himself, suddenly remembering his position. "Oh! Er, yes, of course I'm conducting the ceremony! What other picori priests are there?" He gripped the large, heavy book clasped under his left arm. "Excuse me for that little outburst. I'm nervous about speaking in front of so many other picori, and for such an important person... I tend to speak Hylian slang when I get excited..."

Link chuckled. "It's all right. Just...don't do that during the sermon."

"Yes! Of course! I'm completely covering it!!!"

Vaati wasn't feeling too confident about this...

"So what's that big gigantic seed for?"

"What, this?" Festa turned slightly to look back at the oval-shaped bulb behind him. "You don't know? Oh, that's right! Humans bury their dead in a box and then a big stone grows out of it! No wonder you're confused!"

Vaati was opening his mouth to correct him, but he never got the chance.

"Well, instead of a box, we use a seed shell, and a big flower grows out of the ground where we bury it!"

Link's eyes widened and turned again towards the large bulb on the pedestal. "So you mean...Ezlo's body is in there?"

"Mondocorrecto!"

"Wow..." Link couldn't help but marvel at the sight. Being buried in a seed, and providing nutrients for a flower to grow...what a wonderful way to die. A picori graveyard was a field of beautiful flowers...he'd probably walked through a few before in his life and never even knew it. So that was why there were so many flowers surrounding the shrine.

Festa looked down at a self-made watch around his skinny wrist and nodded to the two of them. "It's time to begin. You two should remain here, next to me. You are the closest things left to the Master's family. And you, little purple dude, you should stand here next to me. I've been ordered to protect you so no one tries to kill you during the ceremony."

_That made me feel loads better_. Vaati grudgingly took his position and tried not to look at the hundreds of shiny little eyes staring at him. Link insisted on standing on the other side of him, for extra bodyguarding.

At last, Festa held up his giant book and rapped twice against its cover. "Ahem! Attention, please!" His voice was swallowed in the constant chatter. He gritted his teeth. "Quiet down! May I have your attention please!" Still nothing.

Festa's cheeks began to turn pink and his body trembled as he repeatedly banged on the book. "Quiet please!!!"

Everyone just wouldn't stop talking, staring at the seed, staring at Vaati, and whispering in worried, sorrowful, or angry tones all at once. It just buzzed and buzzed without end, a constant nuisance.

Festa clenched his hand. He had had it now. "...EAT A SHOE, ALL OF YOU!!!"

Immediately, the entire crowd fell silent at the sound of the strange Hylian words. They all stared in fear, wondering what in the world he had just said. Rem's assistants from Hyrule Town recognized the word "shoe", but nothing else.

Link glanced over at Vaati. "I hope that was supposed to mean 'put a sock in it'," he whispered.

Vaati shrugged. "Well, whatever it was, it looks like it worked."

Festa took deep, panting breaths and tried to calm himself. "Er...w-welcome, all you dudes and dudettes... I-I mean, ladies and gentlemen! We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of our radically awesome homie...er, I mean our beloved, respected leader in the magical arts..."

Vaati imagined Ezlo watching them now and rolling around in the nothingness with laughter.

Unfortunately, much of the rest of the sermon went the exact same way. Several other picori, including a few of Ezlo's other friends, and the other three picori leaders give brief speeches. Link couldn't help noticing the way Vaati glared at Bukuta during his speech. "He killed a cucco," he lowly whispered to him later. After that, it came time for the burial.

Link watched in fascination as a group of picori, including Jenta, Bukuta, and Melta gently lifted the seed off its pedestal, and buried it in a long, deep hole the mountain picori had dug. They patted the dirt in around it and over it. Then, it was time for the offerings.

Many other picori traveled in a line up to the grave, setting other little flowers around it. Melta and his apprentices added a beautiful, shining emerald they had found mining, Bukuta laid down a quill, and Jenta gave up a prized illustration of the four primary elements.

When it was Link's turn, he realized with a shock, that he hadn't even thought of anything he could give as an offering. Quickly, he fished around in his bottomless pack, and pulled out the first thing he thought could work--a round, completed, green Kinstone. He placed it on the other side of the emerald, and thought the effect was pretty nice.

Finally, it was Vaati's turn. He softly stepped up to the lovely, decorated grave, and gave it a bittersweet smile. Fluidly, he reached into his robes and drew something from within, holding it up like a trophy of some sort. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The chatter of the whispering picori started up again--probably condoning his choice of offering, wondering what in the world he was thinking, or just believing that he was making a mockery of this whole ceremony. Ah, Festa had already done that long before.

Smiling, secretly, Vaati bent and gently placed the sandwich right in the center of all the other gifts, at the base of the mound of dirt. "Here you go." For a moment, he thought he could almost see Ezlo, smiling back at him.

Vaati retreated back to his protected spot between Festa and Link, not even minding the continual gossiping of the crowd.

As soon as they were back in place, Festa tucked his book back under his arm and made a bow. "And now, the moment you have all been waiting for. Elders, if you please."

Jenta, Bukuta, and Melta stepped into the center aisle in front of the shrine, though Melta scowled a bit at being called an "Elder". He certainly looked formidable, towering over the tiny, shriveled Elder twins.

"And could we also have Jotari, Belari, and the Seven?"

Link noticed Vaati trembling next to him, and finally realized what was happening. His succession ceremony.

The girl with the ponytail, the boy with the big gloves, and all seven mountain picori stepped onto the center path. Link finally saw Chilta and quickly waved to him, before Festa shooed him back into the crowd.

"This is between our leaders and their apprentices only," he hissed as the two of them squeezed under the thread and into the crowd. "It's very important that no one interrupts."

Link set his mouth in perturbed line. _Please...I hope nothing happens. Come on, Vaati, you've got to stay strong... _He deliberately lowered his head to avoid meeting Vaati's eyes. He knew he was looking after him...searching for him...trying to find his support pillar. It was as if he was riding along on a new bicycle, and the training wheels had just been yanked out from under him. But he had to keep going.

"We have had a terrible upet in our system of order, as you all know," Elder Jenta began, addressing the crowd. "Under normal circumstances, those under our tutelage would ascend to our level once their training had completed. However, on this very sad, unusual situation..."

All off a sudden, his words were chopped off by a loud boom of protest. "It's not fair!!!"

"He killed him!!!"

"He doesn't deserve it!!!"

"He'll lead us all down the path to destruction!!!"

Vaati squeezed his eyes closed. _No..._ Link desperately thought. _No... Come on, Vaati... Don't listen to them..._

"_Quiet, everyone_!!!" Melta barked above the voices, and reluctantly, they fell silent again. None of them wanted to mess with him.

"Ahem...as I was saying..." Jenta continued. "In the event of Master Ezlo's passing, we have agreed to make an exception for his apprentice, young Vaati..."

"BOOOOOO!!!"

Vaati winced again, clutching the bird staff behind his back in shame.

Jenta had to raise his voice a little to still be heard. "...Despite his not having completed his formal training yet."

"As such, there will be no passing of the command item, as normally occurs at the succession ceremony," Bukuta picked up. "Simply the oath ceremony and the assimilation ceremony will occur, followed by official documentation. The papers shall be signed by Attorney Crimsi on behalf of Master Ezlo." Link suddenly noticed the red-clad lawyer picori standing somewhere in the back.

"It's a dishonor!!!"

"He wouldn't have wanted this!!!"

"It's an insult to Master Ezlo's memory!!!"

"You're letting the magic arts fall to ruin!!!"

"What kind of government lets a murderer off unpunished and then lets him lead the country?!"

Vaati opened his eyes again, and they narrowed slightly. Though his voice was lost in the din of the roaring crowd, Link saw, as he mouthed the words, "I'm not a murderer."

"_Shaddup, alla ya, or I'll break yer scrawny necks_!!!"

"Please, Melta, there's really no need to resort to violence..." Jenta turned around to plead with him.

The oversized picori just cracked his knuckles. "I'll do what I need ta do."

At last, Vaati looked fully up again, and gave a quick, discreet smile to the picori swordsmith.

"And now, the ceremony has begun," Bukuta announced. "Come forth, Vaati."

Vaati stepped up in front of the old picori twins and made a bow to them. The two of them then recited strings of some sort of swearing-in oath, which Vaati repeated. A few times, he was forced to raise his voice over the rowdy mob.

Link exhaled in slight relief. Vaati was going to be okay. He was fighting back now. He wanted to show them--he wanted to prove himself to them. He didn't want Melta to have to keep defending him.

Following the oath, Vaati joined the other picori apprentices one last time for some sort of hand-holding ritual. Then, at last, it was time for the assimilation. Jenta lifted his needle. Bukuta lifted his feather, touching it to the eye of the needle. Melta lifted a large hammer and slipped it up into the middle of the brothers' items. Now it was time.

Vaati took a deep breath. He felt calm, subdued... He could drown out the shouts and accusations roaring in the background. He could see Ezlo...his smiling face, his kind, gentle words... _Ezlo _wanted him to do this. _Ezlo_ believed in him. That was all that really mattered.

He softly stepped up, gazed up into the vast, blue sky, where he knew, somewhere, Ezlo was watching him... Then, he lifted Ezlo's--no _his_--magical staff, letting it join the others in their salute to the heavens above. Vaati closed his eyes. _Ezlo...I've done it. Are you proud of me now? I promise, I'll work hard. I'll word hard to bring honor and respect back to your trade. I'm done being sorry now._

When the little circle of picori leaders finally broke up, he turned around to face the crowd. Link's heart pounded with excitement.

"...Everyone...I'd like to make an announcement."

The entire crowd fell into a stunned silence, even Jenta, Bukuta, and Melta. The red lawyer froze in the middle of signing his third paper. No one had ever expected Vaati to make a speech. They all waited with bated breath, picori journalists poised with their quills right above their scrolls.

"...I know what you're all thinking. And you have a perfect right to feel that way. I'm not going to deny that I ever did those evil things...because I did...and I'm not going to give you excuses for why I did them..."

They waited...and waited some more. What _was _he going to say?

"I'm just here to tell you that I don't _ever_ intend to do it again...and I will work hard...I promise to work hard...to restore your confidence and faith in the magical arts. I hope to someday serve you all in a way that can live up to my honorable master's legacy. I hope to become stronger--stronger in the magical arts, stronger in spirit, and stronger against the forces of darkness. Right now, although you may not be aware of it, that same dark force I had once held it again growing iniside of Hyrule..."

A hushed buzzing rumbled to life within the crowd--mostly the town picori, Link noticed. Their fearful, anxious little faces were enough to confirm that they believed him.

"In a few hours, I will be leaving with Link--the hero who defeated me--to risk my life against it. I do this because I want to regain your respect, because I want to prove to you that I can fight back against the forces of darkness now, but most of all, because I know what it's like. I know what the darkness is like--and so I never want any of you to fall under it. I want to protect you from it." Vaati paused to take a deep breath. Now that all those words...all those things he'd wanted to say for so long were finally out of him, he felt somehow small and deflated.

"I promise, I will do my best to serve you. ...Thank you." He bent backwards, into a little bow over his bird staff, and finally retreated back into the cluster of picori leaders.

There was a moment of complete, stunned silence again. Then, someone, somewhere in the crowd started to clap. He was joined by ten more...then it doubled...and tripled. Now the crowd was buzzing again...but this time, with applause.

"_Whoooo_!!!" Link couldn't help but yell out. He couldn't believe it. His heart swelled with pride for him. Vaati had done it! He'd finally triumphed over the public!

The clapping died down again as Festa stepped back onto the walkway to thank everyone for coming and dismiss them all. On his way, he ended up tripping on the thread barrier, causing his hat to fall off and exposing his bright pink Mohawk. The crowd got a nice little laugh out of that.

As soon as the crowd thinned enough to allow him through, Link barreled through the barrier, flinging his arms around Vaati and squeezing the breath out of him. All the poor little picori could say was "Pweh!" as his lover tackled him.

"Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh!!! Vaati, I'm just so proud of you!!!"

Vaati wriggled himself loose again and giggled. "Y-Yeah, I was kind of expecting you would be. I never meant to do that. Before that, I was so afraid...but then, I just...had to say it."

"That's great! I'm so happy for you!"

The other apprentices and Elders were starting to move away as well...but someone had to come over there to greet them. "Hey, Link! Hey, little wi--er, Vaati!" Link turned to see Chilta running towards them, long macaroni hair bouncing.

"Chilta! I hoped I'd get a chance to talk to you."

Chilta briefly greeted his old friend, then moved to talk to Vaati. "Vaati...um, do I have to call you Master Vaati now?"

Vaati laughed. "No, definitely not! I won't be a Master for a very, very long time."

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that your speech was astonishing! ...And are you really going out to fight something evil?"

Vaati and Link glanced at each other, and nodded, grimly in unison. "Yes. We've got to get going now, actually."

"I...I wish I could come with you..." Chilta frowned and glanced down at the grass. "Just...please, do your best, okay? And...and make sure you come back?"

Link scowled determinedly. "Yes, Chilta. We'll be back."

The worried mountain picori still didn't look too sure, but managed to give them another weak smile. Link and Vaati said good-bye to him, then to Festa, then to Melta.

"Good luck, you two," the burly old picori said, patting their heads. "Come back up to visit sometime--we'll give ya both a hero's welcome."

Link smiled, proudly. "Thank you."

And then, that was it. The entire spot in front of the shrine had cleared itself out--only the little mound of Ezlo's grave with its ring of gifts was left as a reminder. Vaati clenched his little fist over the wood pole in his hand and nodded to Link. "Let's go."

And so, they left to find the nearest entrance.

(-)

"Okay, you've got all the allowing essence, right?" Link asked. "We're going to be needing a lot of it to get into the Elemental Sanctuary."

Vaati nodded, pulling one of the tiny vials of sparkles out from within his robes. "Of course. I'm just not sure where to put _this_ while I'm gone." He set the wooden staff down next to one of the stump's roots and stared at it. "I don't want to leave it here--someone might steal it."

Link shrugged. "Well it'll be teeny-weeny once we grow, I'm sure I could fit it in my pack. For that matter, you could just stick it in your pocket."

"Oh, yeah. Durrr... I haven't been big in so long..."

"But you're just so cute as a picori!" Link exclaimed, squeezing him into his arms again. "I mean, not that you're not cute as a human too, but as a picori, you're extra-super-double cute!"

Vaati giggled--his giggle was even more high-pitched and squeaky than normal. "Oh, come on. We've got to finish this mission! We can't be getting distracted! As much as we would like to..."

Link managed to rip himself away again, though he grinned like a maniac. "Okay. I'll save it up for tonight then."

Vaati placed the vial of magic down for a moment as he lifted his hat off his head again and began to yank off his purple leaf-cut robe. He laughed a little once it was off and his chest-eye opened up. "And this time, I don't need to blindfold you!"

Link's cheeks flushed, just a little bit as he smiled back. "Yup!"

Just for a moment, Vaati quickly closed his eyes, turning his new senses on Link. That Goddess at the window had lowered its hand from its face. It was kneeling straight up towards the beam of light above its head. And it had stopped crying.


	11. Salvation

Happy Holdidays, all! I wanted to get this out before the holiday, but I was just too busy! I got Phantom Hourglass and little keychain straps of Link and Vaati, and my own copy of the real MC manga! I was literally squealing with delight! So needless to say, I'm sufficiently motivated now.

So why didn't I update earlier? I blame school. And MySims. Yeah. I love that game. But I was upset that they didn't have purple hair, so I couldn't make my guy look like Vaati.

There's...a lot more blood that I thought there would be. Oh, well, it's the final battle, so why not?! And yes, some details of the battle are deliberately ambiguous. And some of these random ideas don't fit in with the "timeline" and other games, but whatever.

Link, Vaati, Zelda, and this other guy here you might know belong to Nintendo.

Stay tuned for the bonus chapter in a little while!

(-)

Chapter 11: Salvation

Link was so amazed that he didn't even notice the light pulling sensations at the top of his head and the soles of his feet. He watched, breathlessly, as Vaati's squat, sturdy little picori frame grew and stretched itself into the long, slender, elegant shape of a human body. He knew that this happened to him whenever he went through an entrance, but it was much more startling to actually watch the transformation occur before his eyes. His legs narrowing and lengthening, his feet shrinking and molding, his waist growing slender, his ears shortening, his face sculpting into an angled, refined delicateness, and of course, his hair billowing out behind him as it lengthened like a purple veil. All this wasn't without the occasional moans of discomfort, but still, Link enjoyed watching it.

Unfortunately, his pleasure was short-lived. His feet rammed back into the ground, and instantly, something burst right behind his forehead. His headache returned with a vengeance, and he nearly fell back over from the shock of the sudden pain.

He glanced up again, but only got a quick glance of the human Vaati in all his bare purity before he slapped the usual blue cloth around his waist. "You didn't...have to do that," he moaned out, in half-disappointment.

"Yes, I did!" Vaati indignantly protested. "What if someone walks by?! They'd see me..." He quickly bent over, fished his old clothing out of the bushes where he had left it two weeks ago, and began to pull on his red pants. "You've got to think about the rest of the world, you know, Link. I took a big risk just being exposed for that long..."

"Ow..." Link muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead. "I wish this headache would go away--I've had it for weeks now. It goes away for a while, but then it just comes back again...and it gets worse every time!"

Vaati's protestation trailed off, even as he continued pulling his tunic over his head and re-fastening his gold belt. He looked over at Link, who was still hunched over, clutching his forehead. "Weeks? Why didn't you tell me?" His expression began to melt into an unusual concern. "Here...I know how to make it better."

Abandoning his boots for the moment, Vaati stepped up to Link's side and reached out for his head. Link forced himself to stand up straight again. The pain wasn't really that much worse, he made himself believe. He could stand it...Vaati would help. He had to remove his hand from his head, and Vaati placed his own hand over it. Softly, he began the magical chant he'd learned to relieve headaches.

"_Aaaaaugh_!!!" A painful stab immediately shot through that very spot.

Vaati jerked backwards, nearly falling over onto his butt. "L-Link! Oh, gosh, Link, I'm sorry! I must've gotten the words wrong or something! Are you okay?!"

The pain behind Link's eyes blurred into a dull, throbbing and pulsing. Suddenly, he felt sick and dizzy. He gripped both sides of his head, trying to steady himself.

Vaati trembled and crawled up towards him. "Link...I'm sorry. It's okay. I won't do that again."

At last, the pounding, pulsing sensations faded out, leaving him with the familiar, dull pain in his head again. He smiled and pulled himself together. "It's gone now. I'm fine."

Vaati took a sharp gulp of air and steadied his nerves. _I don't have time to be worrying about it. It's just a headache. We need to get to Hyrule Castle now, before something terrible happens..._

Link clenched his teeth together, sharing his thoughts. "Come on," he commanded, grabbing hold of his hand. "I'm sure it's nothing. Let's go."

(-)

Hyrule Town. They stepped through the entrance gates without a moment's hesitation. Immediately, Vaati put up his magical invisibility shield...but dropped it again a few seconds later. Link's hand gradually slackened, finally dropping from his altogether. Vaati's wings slipped out of his back again, standing upwards, tense and alert.

Everything was so...lifeless. The cobblestone walkways looked deserted. Gray clumps of dust and detritus littered the spots where merchants used to set up their stands. The café that had once been so lively was deserted, wooden tables and chairs broken and tipped over. Even the cucco farm was completely empty...and when he looked over at it, Link noticed, with a chill, the brown, curving bones of a cucco skeleton. Never before had they disturbed him so much. But that wasn't the worst part.

It was the atmosphere. It was like some phantom of death had passed over this place and sucked the life out of every little creature and thing. The roofs that had once been bright, cheery hues of yellow, aqua, and red were now cold and grayish. Even the bright green grass looked brown and crinkled. Link was suddenly reminded of the Royal Valley graveyard. And to make it all worse...the air was so...still. So still, silent, and cold.

Though Link couldn't notice it, Vaati definitely picked up the sensation. Magic. He could feel it. A very foul, evil magic.

"Wha... What happened?" Link whispered, turning towards Vaati for some kind of explanation.

"It must have been him," Vaati hissed back. "The man in the black robe. His evil magic is spreading into the town. Oh, I had hoped it hadn't gotten this bad... If we hadn't waited so long..."

Link's eyes quickly scanned the town again. "Where is everybody?"

Vaati whispered, almost not even daring to speak it. "...I don't know."

"But they're not...!" Link protested, determinedly. "They can't be...!"

"Well..." Vaati replied, in consolence. "The town picori got out. The town picori all evacuated, and they're all fine... I'm sure they would've warned the humans..."

"N-No!" Link cried out, suddenly. "No, they're here! They're here--look!!!" He jabbed a finger out in excitement. There _was_ something there. Something tall...and gray...and moving, feebly. Link broke into a run towards it...desperately holding out his arms for the human presence.

But as soon as Vaati laid eyes on it, he knew. He began to tremble. A terrible fear, coldness, and revulsion like he'd never felt before rippled through him. "N-n...No, Link!!!" He sprang forward, wings pounding desperately to give him speed. In a matter of one second, he was throwing his arms over Link's chest, squeezing him, holding him back. "No! That's not what you think it is! It's...it's not human!"

Link gave up struggling against him and fell back into his arms as he landed. He blinked. Now that he was closer, he could see it. It did have a human shape...but it was bare...its skin brown, blackening, and falling off in pieces. It had no eyes, and empty, rotting sockets stared down at the ground with a paralyzing gaze. Link shuddered. "W-w-wha...w-w-what _is _that?"

"It's...a terrible thing. A monster. It's a corpse, reanimated by dark magic, against its will. You have to stay far, far away from it. It'll do things to you...things worse than death."

"A...a corpse?" Link's breath knotted up into his chest, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. "But...but everyone... Does that mean everyone's...?"

"I don't know," Vaati whispered into his ear. "C'mon...let's get out of here..."

Link couldn't agree more. They moved, cautiously over towards the deserted Cucco coop. Vaati kept his arms out, pointed straight at the door of the building, in case any more redeads came creeping out. Thankfully, the building was completely deserted.

They made their way inside, crunching over dried cucco bones as they went. Amazingly enough, whatever had attacked this town had missed a couple of cucco chicks who had stuffed themselves up the chimney. With a little bit of coaxing, Vaati got them to tell him what had happened. "The people all evacuated," he relayed to Link in relief. "They saw the dark mass of clouds approaching and migrated east towards Lake Hylia and Lon Lon Ranch. All the Town Picori went to Minish Woods, as we already know. But Anju, the lady that looked after the Cuccos, didn't have enough time to take them all..." While Vaati still looked upset, Link breathed a sigh of relief. Better Cuccos than people.

"So what's doing this?" he asked. "Is it the man in the black robe? And _how_?!"

"They don't know," Vaati translated a few moments later. "All they heard was that the mass of dark clouds was coming from Hyrule Castle...and that they haven't heard any news from the castle for weeks."

"It's got to be him," Link decided. "Though I have no idea why or how..."

Vaati peeked out the window, but immediately turned back. "We've got to go," he urgently hissed. "The redeads are coming. They can feel human presence."

Link's heart began to pound. "Y-You're going to stun them?"

A terrible noise curled up into his ears...it sounded like a voice...a rattling, moaning, crawling voice.

"No," Vaati forced out, grabbing a firm hold of Link underneath the arms. "I'm going to do _this_!"

It all happened too quickly for Link to react. A brown, rotting corpse appeared in the doorway...and then with a terrible explosion, Link found the world reeling around him. Dimly, he struggled to recognize the shapes hurtling past him. Black clouds...blue splinters of wood...the tops of houses. Link's eyes widened and he glanced up at the scowling sorcerer above him, his long bat wings violently beating against the sky. "...I though I said no more flying!!!" he cried out as he suddenly realized what was going on.

"Would you rather have been left to the redeads?!" Vaati snapped back. "I had to blow the whole roof off. I'll have to repair it again after all this is over."

"Why couldn't you just blast the redeads?"

"There were too many of them. And besides, this way is faster. We can fly right to the castle."

Well...as much as Link hated to admit it, he was right about that. And if this was the way things were going now, they needed to get to the castle, finish the Holy Sword, and stop this strange man as soon as possible.

Link looked down as they went flying over North Hyrule field. It was littered with monsters in every direction--and these weren't your everyday octorok pushovers. There were moblins and stalfos knights, and worst of all, a whole army of darknuts. He closed his eyes and prayed that Vaati would hold up--if he dropped him now, he was a goner for sure.

"Ack!" Almost as if he had cursed him, Vaati suddenly smacked straight into something, though he didn't lose his grip on Link for a second. Link felt his body swing a little bit, and adrenaline raced desperately through him.

"What's going on?!" he shrieked up at his beloved.

"Th-there's some kind of force field around the castle!" Vaati called down. "I can't get any closer than this!"

Link sighed. He looked back down at the miniature monsters patrolling the gate below his dangling feet. "Great. Just great. _Now_ what are we going to do?"

"Better think fast!" Vaati called above the loud, desperate flapping of his wings. "I can't hover here much longer!"

"Ah...um..." Link struggled to fish his sword out from underneath the thin arms clenched around his waist. "Fall back and fly lower towards the castle! Then, when you get closer to the entrance, throw me as far as you can!"

"_Throw_ you?!" Vaati dropped another half-meter. "B-But, I don't..."

"Just do it!!!"

Link thought he heard Vaati suck in his breath, fueling his determination. His wings pounded a few more times, then fell into a gentle glide as they descended back towards Hyrule Field. Link gulped. The miniature moblins and darknuts were growing bigger and bigger...

Abruptly, Vaati whirled around in the air, falling into a speeding dive towards the castle gate. Link barely had time to gasp.

Two seconds later, he was shooting through the air, towards the ground...towards the gray stone of the castle entrance. Desperately, he wrenched his sword out...and just in time, too. Link slammed into something large and meaty.

A startled barking noise came out from below his feet. He'd landed right on top of a moblin. He'd been going so fast, he'd managed to knock it over, and he was now standing on top of it. Quickly, he slashed at it with his sword a few times, and it disappeared. But that's when the others noticed his presence.

"Haahh...huhhhh..." Vaati was slowly lowering to the ground behind them, panting with exertion.

Link's teeth ground together as he faced down the crowd of moblins. Then, an instant later, he was zooming between them, a green streak of lightning. Moblins fell away left and right. A few attempted to swipe at him with their staffs, but they inevitably missed, disappearing in a puff of grey smoke a moment later. By the time Vaati touched down, the area was clear...and now Link was the one puffing with exertion.

"Sheesh..." Vaati spoke up, hurrying to his side. "You didn't have to do all that..."

"I didn't want you...falling into a...big crowd of monsters...and not having the strength to fight them off..."

Vaati sighed, slipping a hand over his drooping shoulder. "You have got to stop worrying so much. Don't you remember when...?"

But Link never got a chance to remember anything. At that moment, the darknuts in the distance began running towards them. Vaati then immediately seized Link by the collar and desperately bolted into the front entrance.

(-)

"Hah!" Link swiftly ducked just as the large, burly arm whooshed past his head. Another slash to the side, and the creature doubled back. "Hwaaah!" He threw his body to the side, popping up at its backside. "Hyah!" Two more direct hits to its fleshy exposed back. The creature growled in pain. A high-pitched metal _clang_ sounded beside them.

Link rolled back up just in time to avoid a karate kick. For a split-second, he glimpsed the large grey and purple shapes of Vaati clashing swords with an armored darknut. He bit down hard in determination.

The large, pointy-eared creature in front of him tucked its arms in defensively. But that wasn't about to stop him.

Link ran towards it, slashing through the air. One...two...and _three_. He launched himself above the creature's head, turning the point of his sword downwards...and driving it straight into it. It let out a horrible wail, and at last, disappeared in a massive dust cloud.

"Yiiihhh!" Vaati sidestepped his opponent's slash, throwing himself into a spin, and slashing as hard as he could at its side. With a loud clank and a surprised grunt, its armor flew off of its body, hitting the ground, but disappearing a moment later. It turned back towards its attacker, grudgingly.

A smile broke over Link's slightly flushed face. "That was great, Vaati!"

Vaati smiled back, even as he leaped backwards to avoid the darknut's karate kick. "What can I say? I was trained by the best!"

Unfortunately, Link didn't get to just relax and watch him for much longer. Another darknut had stepped up to replace his fallen comrade. "For cryin' out loud!" he called, as metal again crashed against metal. "These things just keep coming!"

Vaati panted, hopping to the side again to dodge a furious judo chop. His hair flew out behind him, since he hadn't gotten a spare moment to tie it back yet, and his wings were still standing erect on his back. He gripped his sword tightly and watched for an opening. The shouts and clangs of Link's own battle echoed in the background.

The darknut grunted and threw another blow at him, and so he took another hop backwards. That was when he noticed something large and grey when he turned his head to the side. _The wall...?_ His heartbeat sped up. _It's trying to corner me! _

The monster almost seemed to sense his distress. It grunted louder and reeled its fist backwards to strike.

Vaati dropped to the red castle carpet, pressing himself against the cool stone wall. The impact of the monster's fist thudded against the wall above his head. The thud jolted his body so violently that he flew forward, his sword shooting out of his hand. _Ohmygosh! That was so stupid! Now I'm _really_ cornered!!!_

The darknut lowly cackled. It wound its fist back again for the strike.

Every muscle of Vaati's body clenched. His eyes squeezed closed, his wings went rigid...his right arm extended... And that was it.

The darknut completely froze.

Vaati opened his eyes again...yet they remained narrowed and fixed on their target.

With a little crackling noise, the darknut's body was solidifying...turning grey and hard from the bottom up. And then, a moment later, it was a perfect, complete stone statue.

Vaati blinked. His muscles slowly relaxed again, his eyes widening. "L-Link!" he finally burst out, scrambling to his feet. "Link, did you _see_ that?!"

"Uh, I'm kind of busy!!!" Link hit his darknut on the back again, producing a pained howl.

Vaati just stared down at his hands in distracted amazement. "...That's it!" he realized. "That's my third gift! I knew there were supposed to be three of them... And it's the stone spell! I did it before too, though I guess I didn't really recognize it..."

With the familiar _poff_ noise of an exploding monster, Link broke out of combat and rushed to Vaati's side. "C'mon!" his winded voice insisted as he yanked on his sleeve. "Let's get out of here before more of them start coming!"

"It's okay!" Vaati smiled, innocently, even as Link pulled him down the nearest staircase. "I can just turn all of them into statues for you!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can turn people to stone," Link called back. "What else is new?"

"That _is _new!" Vaati protested. "I couldn't do that before without the cap. If I had been able to do that, I wouldn't have needed all this sword training."

Link sighed, though it was barely audible over the pounding of his feet on the stone steps. They arrived at the castle basement, and he forced them up against the side of the wall, just in case there were moblins patrolling the hallways.

"But you can't control when it happens," Link hissed into his long white ear. "It's not really any use to us if we can't use it anytime we want to."

Vaati frowned. "I guess that's true."

Link scowled and pulled one of his wings back, so it wouldn't be sticking out around the corner. "Well...I don't see any guards, but we still need to be cautious."

Link eyed the gilded doorway on the opposite side, a little ways down. It was so close... He hunkered himself down into a crouch.

"What are you doing?" Vaati whispered.

"I'm going to make a break for it!" And with that, Link launched himself into a flying roll.

Starting in shock, Vaati ran after him, just barely giving himself enough time to put up an invisibility spell. A loud grunt sounded from somewhere near the east corridor, but they didn't stick around long enough to find out what it was.

With a painful thump, Link's head smacked against the wooden door, breaking him out of his roll. Vaati instantly yanked the door open, dragging him inside. He let out a sigh of relief as he sank against the now locked wooden door.

"Arrrrgh..." Link gently sat up on the soft, grassy ground, pulling his legs underneath him and rubbing his forehead. "I should've been watching where I was going..." A hint of panic flittered through his chest when his head began to ache dully. But, thankfully, the pain didn't escalate, and the fear dissolved again. The last thing in the world he wanted was for that violent headache to come back. It had taken long enough to get rid of it.

But why _hadn't_ it started up again? He'd certainly banged his head hard enough...

"Ah..." Vaati opened his eyes again and gently pulled himself away from the door. His face settled into a comfortable, calmed expression.

Link looked up as well. It was a small miracle that the garden was left untouched.

The grass beneath him was a vibrant and healthy green, the cobblestone path made of pure light brown stones. A few small stone fountains lined the pathway, merrily trickling water out of their round tops and into their basins. Even a few bright, multicolored flowers were scattered through the grass, lending the garden its cheery atmosphere.

Link couldn't help but smile at the sight of it...especially at its presence in a place like this. "Well..." he spoke up, as he carefully lifted himself back to his feet. "...At least I know there's _somewhere_ we won't be attacked by an army of darknuts."

Vaati stepped closer to him and smiled. He took this pause in the action to pull out a rubber band and tie his hair up in its usual "fighting style". The ponytail extended from the center of the back of his head to his shoulderblades. He smiled back at Link once he had finished.

Link was just enjoying the sight. "You know...that would look great with a big bow right on top," he told him. "Yeah, you should tie a bow over your ponytail. It doesn't have to be pink..."

Vaati groaned. "Oh, come on. I'm trying to be a guy here, but you just insist on making it harder..."

"Well, you can be a girl sometimes," Link tried to argue. "Like...maybe once a week."

Vaati stared back at the cobblestone path in front of him, and his heart suddenly felt cold. This was it. They were trying to deny it by joking around like this, but this was it--the beginning of the end. There was no turning back from here. They'd have to do it--they'd have to complete the sword...and face off against the man in the black robe.

Vaati gritted his teeth. "Link, if we both survive this, I'll wear that whole frilly dress ensemble again and do a dance for you."

Link grinned. "Okay. I'm holding you to it." He took his hand, and together they walked down the cobblestone path to the blank, white brick wall.

Both of them fell terribly silent as Vaati slipped the little vial of golden sparkles out of his pocket. Link felt as if he was witnessing a very important, solemn ritual. Automatically, he began to bow his head in reverence.

Vaati gently stepped forward, his feet silent against the soft grassy wall base. "I guess...maybe...if I just do this..." Carefully, he plucked the cork out of the vial, and the sparkles rushed forward. Then, almost miraculously, he seemed to catch them in midair...and gently spread them over the wall in front of them with both hands.

Link stared, breathlessly. The wall was beautiful, glistening with the golden sparkles of the allowing essence...but he didn't see anything else.

"There it is," Vaati whispered, in awe. "Can you see it?"

Link shook his head. "I...don't see anything."

"That's what I thought. You'll just have to follow me."

Link bit his bottom lip as he slipped his hand back into Vaati's. _Yes, there's a doorway there. I'm not going to smack into the wall. And even if I did, it couldn't hurt any worse than when I slammed into the door._

Vaati set his face into a determined scowl. "Okay. Here we go." He moved quickly, slipping effortlessly through what looked to Link like a perfectly real, solid wall. And what was even more distressing was that he was attached to him.

Link stifled a yelp as his arm flew forwards, disappearing into the wall. Then, the rest of his body went with it. The bright, yellow tones, grain, and textures of the wall dissolved into a deep blue glow, and at last, Link found himself in the entrance hall to the Elemental Sanctuary.

He blinked a little, reorienting himself, and then noticed Vaati beside him, staring at the scenery with wide, curious eyes.

"Wow..." he lowly spoke up. "Those crystals are beautiful. I wonder if they have any kind of magical properties. They look like they're...glowing from within. That's amazing...I never noticed that before."

"We can come back and admire the crystals some other time," Link hissed back. "Come on, we need to place the Secondary Elements."

Vaati's wings fluttered a little as his heart sped up with anxiety. "I-I'm not even sure how to do that...I didn't really get to figure out how we're supposed to replace the Primaries..."

"Well, we got to start trying the possibilities now!" Link insisted. "Trial and error is just as good as any other method!" He grabbed a hold of Vaati's sleeve and yanked him down the pathway behind him.

Vaati's eyes remained fixed on the mysterious blue tones of the walls, even as they entered into the main sanctuary, past the statues of squat, armored guards raising their swords in opposite line formations.

When Link finally stopped at the base of the altar, his apprehensiveness became apparent. There it finally was--the large, raised platform, where the Holy Sword stood waiting in its slot. Magnificent gleaming orbs of red, green, blue, and purple shone over the edges of the four pillars surrounding the platform. And these were engulfed in the deep mystique and reverence of those blue tones so similar to the crystals in the entryway.

Link could almost see that eerily solemn blueness reflecting off of Vaati's pure white skin. His wings tucked themselves back against his shoulderblades. "Um...I can just...wait outside. Now that you're in, you don't really need me... It wouldn't take any magic just to place the Elements..."

Link gently lifted his hand and brushed the backs of his fingers against that pale bluish cheek. He rubbed it, tenderly, and almost immediately, he noticed some of the tension relaxing and unwinding in his body. "You're not going anywhere," he stated, softly, but firmly. "You deserve to be here just as much as I do."

Vaati smiled and closed his eyes as he savored the feel of Link's hand against his cheek. Then, he snapped back into reality again. "Y-Yeah!" he called out, suddenly. "There's no time for this now! We've got to go place the Elements!"

Link pulled away and berated himself for pulling Vaati away from his distractions when he'd become just as easily distracted. He nodded, firmly in agreement. "Okay. Let's go!"

At last, he led the way up to the highest platform, where the Holy Sword stood. Their footsteps echoed against the smooth, polished blue steps and the surface of the platform, adding yet another layer of mystique with their grave tapping noises.

Link found himself standing right next to the famed weapon--the instrument he'd used to melt the stone curse...and to extricate the Light Force from Vaati's body and return it to normal. Immediately, he wanted to pick it up again. It was the one thing he desired the most right now--not because of its power or magic, but because he knew he could use it to protect Vaati from nearly anything that could happen to him. But he couldn't take it now, he reminded himself. They had to finish it first.

Vaati was already studying the pillars on which the four Primary Elements stood. He held his chin in his hands in consideration. "Ezlo's notes said definitely that there was no way of _replacing _the Primary Elements. So in order to get the Secondary Elements onto these pillars, we'd have to put one on each pillar with a Primary."

"Didn't you say we have to combine them?" Link added, fishing around in the pack at his waist for a Secondary Element.

"Yeah, that's what the notes said, but I don't know how to do that. The only thing I can think of is to place them next to each other, and hope that they just automatically combine if they need to be combined."

Vaati stepped back to Link's side as he fished out their first acquired element--the Metal Element. That familiar silver trapezoid with the teardrop-shaped claws glittered above his hand again. Vaati stared at it, trying to consider the options.

"We should try it with the Fire Element," Link suggested. "Since it was in the same place the Fire Element was."

Vaati frowned, glancing up at the Primary Elements on their pillars. All sorts of spellbook information was stringing through his brain as he tried to calculate the magical forces. He held out his hand without saying a word, and complacently, Link slipped the Metal Element into it.

He watched, breathlessly, as Vaati spread his wings and flew up to the top of one of the pillars...but it wasn't the Fire Element pillar. "Metal," he announced. "Is the magical essence derived from the Earth." And with that, he slipped the Metal Element onto the pillar, right beside the Earth Element.

In a brilliant flash of light, the two Elements moved, arranging themselves and melding their abilities. The Earth Element stood on top of the Metal Element in a single globe of light...and a powerful, gleaming brown beam shot out of them, straight into the blade of the Holy Sword.

Link's face lit up as well. "That's it! _That's it_! Vaati, you did it! They combined perfectly!"

Vaati let out a small breath as he lowered himself to the ground again. "Yeah. Now I've got to figure out the rest. And I don't know what might happen if I get it wrong."

After a few more moments, he held out his hand again and asked for the Light Element. Link quickly complied. He flew up to the Fire Element pillar. "Fire produces heat," he began to announce again. "But it also produces Light." He gently slipped the brilliant, white, eight-pointed star from his hand onto the pillar with the glowing red Fire Element.

Once again, the Elements burst into a violent explosion of light, and once they were finished, the Light Element floated just below the Fire Element in the same bubble. They emitted a pink beam which joined the brown one, streaming into the Holy Sword.

Link squared his fists on his hips. "What did I tell you?! I'd never have been able to do this without you!"

Vaati could only sigh even more heavily than before. "So now we've got Water, Wind, Electricity, and Darkness... Now it gets tough."

Link pulled out the remaining two Secondary Elements, depositing them on the ground just a little further away from the Holy Sword. He could actually see Vaati trembling as he crouched down beside them to consider them. He fingered the Darkness Element for a moment, stared up at the pillars, and then retracted his hands again. His forehead knitted in anxious concentration. Link softly knelt next to him.

_I wish I could help somehow...but I don't really know anything about magic. And...and if I ask, I might shatter his concentration... _He gritted his teeth, now just as anxious as the sorcerer he was concerned about.

It took almost two full minutes. Then, at last, Vaati's lightly vibrating hand moved forward, lifting the two elements into his separate hands. "It doesn't make sense..." he whispered to himself. "Well, maybe... I guess it sort of does...somehow..."

He flew up again, and Link sucked in his breath. Who knows what might happen if this was wrong? There was so much magical energy gathered in this one space...if any imbalances occured, the whole castle might just blow apart, taking them with it. Link felt like he was standing inside a bomb.

Vaati's face looked even paler against the pulsating beams of the Elements. Tiny beads of perspiration were beginning to gather around it. If he got this wrong, either nothing would happen...or everyone in the castle would be killed.

"E-Electricity," he unusually began, "Can be generated by both the Water and the Wind." His wings feebly brought him up beside the pillar containing the gleaming blue Water Element. "But Water...holds the ability to transfer and magnify Electricity, while Wind does not."

Link suddenly wished he could fly too. He wanted more than anything else to be right beside Vaati right now. He needed him...and if he had to die here now, it would be much better to die by his beloved one's side.

Vaati clenched his eyes shut. "S-So Electricity..." he announced, as loudly as his quavering voice would permit. "...belongs with Water!"

Link immediately shielded his eyes from the resulting eruption of light. _Is this it? _He automatically wondered. _Am I dying? It doesn't feel so bad..._ Then, he opened his eyes again.

What he noticed first was Vaati's beautiful beaming face, teary with relief...then, the bright aqua-colored beam shooting into the blade of the Holy Sword along with the brown and pink ones. He smiled and began to laugh in the joyous moment. "_Yes_! _You did it_!!!"

Vaati's cheeks flushed with excitement as he glided over to the final pillar. "And that leaves Darkness with Wind!"

After a few more seconds of blindness, the final beam appeared--a deep forest green. The Elements pumped their powers into the sword at the center, until in a brilliant clash of magic, the hilt became a magnificent, shining hue of bluish silver, and the center of the blade even seemed to glow with bluish sparkles from within.

Link's own blue eyes widened at the magnificent sight. For a moment, he didn't even notice when Vaati swooped down and landed gracefully at his side.

"I have no idea why Darkness goes with Wind--they really have nothing in common. But I am a half-Wind person who could easily conduct the powers of Darkness...so I guess they're related somehow." Then, he noticed Link's fixed stare of fascination. "Well?" he prodded. "Go on, take it."

Link turned back around to stare at him. "Take it? Me? But...but it doesn't seem fair. After you did all the work, I just get to waltz on up to the base and take the sword for myself?"

"Most of it's yours anyway," Vaati replied. "The Primary Elements account for more of the sword's composition than the Secondaries, remember? And I doubt it would accept me as its master." He chuckled a little. "C'mon, I can tell you want it."

Link _did _want it--because he could protect Vaati with it. And that was truly all he had on his mind as he finally approached the base where the Holy Sword stood. Vaati smiled, folding his arms behind his back with pride.

Every little movement Link made was echoed in the blue stone room--his footsteps, his kneeling, the soft grinding noise as he put his own personal sword away, and then, as he grasped the silvery handle and began to lift the Holy Sword out.

For a glorious moment, the room seemed to radiate with a peaceful, majestic yellow glow. Link got back to his feet and lifted the brilliant sword above his head, his face beaming almost as much. _This is it. This is everything we've worked for. The result of our combined powers. It's finally here. We've finally done it._ Link's euphoric face turned down again to look into Vaati's equally joyful one.

"..._Aaaaaaaaaugh_!!!" _Thwump!_ _Clang-clang-clank!_

An instant later, Link was crumpled on the ground, the new Holy Sword dropping from his limp hand.

Vaati zoomed forward, his smile long gone, almost literally flying to his side. "_Link_! Ohmygosh, Link, what happened?! Are you okay?!"

Link was pressed to the blue stone of the platform on his knees, his hands squeezing desperately against his head.

_His head! Oh, Goddess, his head! It's that headache again! I...I don't know what to do!!! _Vaati began to lift his hands towards Link's blond head as he continued to tremble and moan in agony. _N-No, last time I tried to help him, I just made it worse! _

Vaati was just about to turn away again when all of a sudden, Link lifted his head...and wrenched his hands away.

"_Yeaaaaaah_!" That terror-filled panic shot through Vaati's chest again, and his body recoiled, his arms snapping up to shield his face.

Link blinked, gently and confusedly. His head turned over to the terror-stricken sorcerer next to him. Vaati noticed his staring and slowly came out of hiding again, halfway lowering his arms.

"It...it stopped," Link spoke, in a soft tone of awe. "All of a sudden, it felt like my head was going to tear apart again, and then it just...stopped."

Vaati stared back at him with a wide red eye and a very disturbed, unsettled expression. Link frowned at him. "What's wrong with you?"

Vaati shook himself, trying to break back into reality. "U-Um, nothing," he replied, unconvincingly. "I just...thought I saw something. But it wasn't really there."

"An attack?!" Link worriedly asked.

"No, it just..." Vaati shook his head and turned it down as he began to get back to his feet. "I have no idea what that was." _It's impossible. It couldn't have been what it looked like..._

Link picked up the Holy Sword again and got to his feet beside him. "Me neither. I'm beginning to think that this isn't just a headache. It's way too intense." Link's body began to tremble as he realized what this could mean. "Maybe...maybe it's trying to warn me of something."

Vaati's eye widened again. _Oh my gosh...that's exactly... But how would he...? How would it...?_

Link gripped the sword tightly in his left fist. "I don't know why, but I know that was a warning. Terrible things are happening. And we need to stop that weird man _now_!"

Vaati shared in his determination. _That's right. The man in the black robe. He's here in the castle right now, probably pursuing dangerous plans. Right now, he could be destroying the world!_

He nodded back at his partner and his love, with solid resolution. "You're right. Let's go." He leaned over, briefly pressing his lips gently against Link's forehead, fondly, before getting back to his feet.

The time for the final battle had come.

(-)

Link and Vaati raced through the dark halls, one single streak of green and lavender. None of the monsters patrolling the hallways even had a chance to land a hit on them. Link battered moblins and darknuts alike out of their way with the Holy Sword, and Vaati hurled balls of magical energy at any that attempted to approach them from behind. Lesser monsters perished in explosions of smoke, never even knowing what had hit them.

In fact, most of them simply fell away at the sight of the Holy Sword. It naturally seemed to repell them, like an aura of protection. After all, after this whole ordeal with the strange black-robed man, this sword would be used to trap them all inside the chest where they could never escape to wreak havoc again.

The two partners streamed through the first floor and fought their way up the stairs to the second. Link focused intensely on the task before him. The entire world seemed melted and blurred, his mind sharpened and programmed on one all-important task--finding and defeating the evil man who was destroying Hyrule. All he could see was the red carpet, the grey walls, and the blurs of grey and brown which whizzed past his body, connecting violently with the pointed object in front of him. All he could hear was his own panting breath, the various grunts and screams emitted by the whirling blobs, and a familiar soft voice murmuring ocult foreign syllables near his ear. That was all that mattered. That was everything in the world right now.

A dull ache began around Link's temples...and as he rushed forward, it began to grow and blossom into a full-blown stab of pain. _It's him. It's him, I know it. He's growing stronger. He's causing more destruction. I can feel it. We've got to get to the throne room. He's in the throne room, I'm sure. Something terrible is happening. We're in great danger! It's coming...he's going to destroy...he's going to kill!!!_

"EEEEEYAAH!!!"

Link wrenched his body to a halt, Vaati toppling against his back and quickly pulling his balance back together. That scream... That was completely different. That was an unmistakably human shriek. Link panted, though it was difficult to get a good breath. The pure shock of the moment prevented him from breathing as he should.

Something pink was lying in a heap on the floor in front of him. Something pink and something very familiar.

Link's eyes narrowed in confusion. "...Zelda?"

The princess's normally perfectly styled, smooth blond hair was frazzled and disheveled. When she lifted her head at last, her face contained a terrible distress and inner pain. Dark lines had formed underneath her bright, teary blue eyes...and her whole face seemed very, unhealthily pale.

"_L-Link_!" she cried out, though her eyes flickered over to take in Vaati for a moment. "Link...Oh, Link... I...It's terrible...I...I should have...I should have been paying more attention..."

Link squeezed Vaati's hand, protectively, and Vaati just remained complacently silent, staring at the princess in shambles. "What is it?" Link solidly demanded. He wasn't about to put up with any selfish pleas from her anymore. "Is it the man in the black robe? What has he done?!"

Zelda gulped back a flood of tears and her eyes flickered over towards Vaati for another second. "He...he's got power... H-He's got power!"

"What kind of power?!"

"Link, he's worse! He's worse, Link! He's got my father captive...he's going to kill him. He's going to kill everyone in Hyrule. He wants the whole thing...and he wants to kill people...as in murdering them!!!" Zelda burst into a horrible wailing sob, clutching her body tightly.

Link's face darkened. "That's what I thought."

Zelda lifted her tearful, anguished face again...and stared into Vaati's wide, fearful red eye.

Link's grip tightened. "C'mon, let's go, Vaati." Their gaze ripped away as Link yanked Vaati down the hall with him and sped towards the throne room.

"_No_! _Wait_!" Zelda yelled after him. "Don't try to find him! Don't go to him, Link! That's exactly what he wants!!!"

But it was too late. Link and Vaati were already halfway to the gilt door of the throne room down the hall.

The moblins and darknuts guarding the second floor congregated around the princess, though they didn't dare harm her. Her face fell down again in utter despair. There was no hope for them now, and she knew it.

Even so, the odd fact was still sticking in her head, like an amusing memory. Strangely enough, she felt a tiny smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "He...he had...big, black wings..."

(-)

And before either of them knew it, they were there. Link threw the door open, exploding into the throne room, the Holy Sword held high in front of him. Vaati, still holding his hand, rushed to his side, his wings spread wide, threateningly. "_Stop right there_!" Link yelled. "Don't you dare lay a hand on the king of my country!"

There it was, just as he had predicted. King Daltus lied bound and gagged on the steps of his own throne, quaking with terror. But their attention was fixed on the commanding figure in front of him. A very large, human figure was standing with his back to them, a huge sword pointed at the king's head. The bright red, menacing designs of eagles and moons twisted over his clothing...a long, pitch-black robe which swept the floor. The man in the black robe.

Everything was still and silent. Link's words echoed against the high, domed ceiling of the throne room, sounding more and more insignificant every second. Vaati remained perfectly still, not even twitching his wings a little. Link didn't lower his sword a centimeter. Both waited with bated breath for the evil man's reply.

He began to laugh. It was a deep, malicious, unearthly laugh. He retracted his oversized sword and kicked the helpless kind aside. With muffled shouts, screams, and protests, he rolled off the step to the side entrance, smacking his head so hard against the doorcasing that he fell limp and unconscious. The man's laughter only grew louder.

Vaati bit his lip, and Link's contemptuous expression deepened.

And, at last, he turned around to face them. Though neither of their fixed expression changed, their eyes widened slightly in surprise. Neither of them had ever seen a person in Hyrule who looked like this. His skin was quite dark--a medium brown color--and his short hair and beard were a shock of bright orange-red. He clutched one of those giant forked swords in each hand.

Link tightened his grip, both on the Holy Sword and on Vaati's hand, as his malicious brown eyes passed over the two of them. His laughter died down in his throat, though he was still gazing at them with a toothy grin.

"Well..." he spoke at last, fixing his eyes straight on the determined Link. "At last, we meet face-to-face. How good of you to come right to me and save me the tedious work seeking you out to extract it."

Vaati's heart thudded violently in his chest, and he choked on his next breath. _Extract it..._

Link's brow knitted slightly with confusion as well as contempt. "What are you talking about?"

The man shifted slightly with anticipation. "So ignorant. But I shouldn't have expected anything more." He lowered his head, to look directly into Link's eyes and tunnel into his very soul. "You now possesss something which I greatly desire."

"What, the Holy Sword?" Link asked. "You want the Holy Sword?"

"The Holy Sword is useless to me," the man insisted. "What I am after is something much more important. Though that sword has the power to divide what has melded, it will forever live on in this form now that it has been so distributed..."

"What in Nayru's name does that mean?" Link growled.

Vaati didn't completely understand it himself...but a vague idea was forming in his head, and he didn't like it at all.

"It means that your magical sword can do nothing against the power that is now mine." The man's eyes narrowed, his thick brows lowering. "It's time for you to discover the truth...Link."

Link felt as though a stream of icy water had just passed through his heart. He nearly dropped the Holy Sword in shock. His mouth dropped open. "How...H-How do you know my name...?"

The man grinned, maniacally. "Oh, excuse me. I haven't properly introduced myself, have I?" He swept into a false bow, extending one of his oversized swords across his chest. "My name is Ganondorf. I am the ruler of the Gerudos."

Link tightened his sword-grip again. "Who are the Gerudos?"

Ganondorf stood fully upright again--a frightingly tall seven feet--and gave him another nasty smile. "I'm not surprised that you've never heard of us. Your precious Hyrule monarchy has been keeping us a secret for hundreds of years. But nevertheless, we dwell in the great Gerudo Desert to the east. Being the only man of our tribe, I am naturally its ruler. As for how I know of you, well..." The man cocked his head slightly to the side. "You just happen to bear a striking resemblance to another Link who made the mistake of crossing into my territory."

Link was squeezing the platinum handle of the Holy Sword so tightly that his entire arm began to quiver. He felt his heart's pulse quickening, his breath knotting up in his throat.

Ganondorf crossed the long sleeves of his robe over his broad chest, satisfied with himself. He seemed to grow even more pleased as Link became more distressed.

Vaati turned to look at him, placing a concerned hand over his shoulder. Link was breathing now...he was panting, raggedly.

"...Th-they...they went on a journey..." he whispered. "They went on a journey, and they never came back..."

Vaati moved in a little closer. _Who? Who went on a journey? What's he talking about? _"Link...?" he gently began to ask, the anxiety carved into his face.

And just like that, he'd recieved his answer. The terrible pain and rage at last burst out of Link's small frame. He yanked himself fully upright, shoving Vaati out of the way and clutching the sword fiercely in front of him with both hands. "You..._you killed my parents_!!!"

Vaati sharply gasped. The whole instance came back to him. _That's right! Link said his parents had just disappeared when they went on a trip abroad!!!_

Ganondorf smiled, raising his forked swords, as if preparing for battle. "Ah. Now the secret's out. Too bad. No one comes back from the Gerudo Desert with his life."

Link's body trembled, churning and seething from within. _He...he killed them. It doesn't matter that I never knew them. He's the _reason_ I never knew them!!! If it weren't for him, I would've had a father...I would've had a mother...I would've had a better life! And he killed them...he killed them, for no other reason than because they were in his territory!!! _Link yanked his metal shield from his back, positioning himself in a threatening battle stance. "Well, _I'm _still here! And no matter what, I will avenge them!!!"

Vaati could only watch, incredulously, as his partner rushed headlong at the giant Gerudo man. Despite its all-powerful magical properties, the Holy Sword clanked uselessly against the long metal blade of Ganondorf's oversized sword. He drew back again and tried attacking him lower. He got the same results.

Vaati clutched his fists to his mouth with anxiety. _I...I don't know... I should be helping him...but this has nothing to do with me. But I don't want Link to get hurt! _He squeezed his eyes closed, as if praying. _No matter what, I'm not going to just watch him get hurt!!!_

Link growled in frustration and rage as he repeatedly lunged at the black-clothed man, swerving this way and that as he tried to find a weak point. Each time, Ganondorf simply moved his swords, deflecting the attacks. He chuckled, lowly, over the clanking and sparking of their connecting swords.

"Fine. If you want to tire yourself out for me, be my guest. Though it's quite disappointing--I thought you might actually present a challenge."

Link ground his teeth together as he drew back again to pause. Then he noticed the purple splotch in his peripheral vision. "Vaati, why aren't you helping?!"

"Ah!" Vaati snapped to attention, running to his side and drawing his sword. "I-I didn't know if you wanted me to!"

"This is _him_!" Link cried. "This is the man in the black robe! He's the one we have to defeat in order to save the world! Why shouldn't you help?!"

Ganondorf raised one cynical eyebrow. "Two against one? Now that's not fair."

"It is when we're dealing with someone like _you_!" Link held his offensive position as Vaati rushed up to his other side.

Immediately, Ganondorf moved his other sword, covering his back. "Good thing I happen to be ambidextrous."

Link growled again. Then, in another instant, they were again engaged in furious combat, metallic blades flashing and clinking.

Vaati felt himself trembling, though his mind had gone completely blank. All he could do was watch as the inevitable events played themselves out in front of him. His eyes focused down on the long, pointed sword clutched to Ganondorf's back, but it didn't move an inch.

For an instant, Link paused, and Ganondorf flew into a fierce whirlwind manuevar, both swords slicing fatally through the air. Link just barely escaped his death by back-flipping out of the way.

And in that instant, Vaati came back to reality. The sword was gone. This was his chance--while Ganondorf was distracted, he had to slash his exposed back! Gathering all of his strength together, Vaati shot forwards. His arm wound back to deliver the deadly blow...and froze there. His arm began to tremble, and the rest of his body followed. _What am I doing? _

Ganondorf fell out of the attack and reoriented himself, drawing up to full height. Vaati's eyes widened. The black garment shook and shifted.

Link's face was suddenly visible under one arm. "Vaati, what are you waiting for?!?!"

"I-I can't!" Vaati cried, at once aware of it himself. "H-He's not...! Link, he's not...!!!"

A piercing shriek burst out of him as Ganondorf suddenly slashed his other sword backwards. The slicing edge of the right fork narrowly glanced by his neck. Vaati stood stationary, squeezing the handle of his sword in front of him.

For a moment, Ganondorf glanced back at him, dark eyes gleaming. "You should listen to your little bat girlfriend, Link," he sneered. "You know you don't really want to kill me."

Link only shook with further, boiling rage. "Well, I can't speak for Vaati--and he's a boy--but, I know that _I _want nothing more than to kill you!!!"

Their swords clashed again, though Ganondorf knew there was no need to shield his back now. He furiously swiped at Link with both of his forks.

Vaati drew even further back, watching their struggle with continually squeezing eyes. He couldn't do it. He was sure of it now. And he knew exactly why. He'd killed hundreds of monsters by now--they were otherworldly demons, always disappearing in a puff of smoke after being defeated. But Ganondorf was a human being. He had a spirit and thoughts of his own. He would be left as a cold, deathly carcass. But what was he going to do?! What would he do if Link got hurt?! ...If Link got _killed_?! He'd probably kill himself...or he'd let Ganondorf kill him. He couldn't let any of that happen!!!

He ran to Link's side, deciding to simply protect him with all of his magical ability.

Link's head snapped over to glare at him as his body fell back against the force of Ganondorf's sword. "_Vaati_! What's _wrong_ with you?!" he spat out. "Why are you acting like this now?! This is _it_! This is what we've always been working towards!!!"

"I-I just can't!!!" Vaati called back, firmly decided. "He's a _person_, Link! He has a _life_! We don't know anything about him! He's..._he's just like me_!!!"

Stunned, Link fell further back against Ganondorf's blows, and one of the forked sword's edges lightly slit his left cheek.

Vaati gasped, immediately yanking him into a protective bubble. His light frame trembled with inner conflict. "Link..."

Link forcefully swiped the blood from his cheek and turned narrowed eyes to his sweetheart. "Vaati, this is nothing like _you_. Don't you even _begin _to compare yourself with him! Vaati, he's a _murderer_! _This man killed my parents_!!!"

Small droplets of tears squeezed themselves out of Vaati's lower lids. His magic shield wavered and flickered away. Link swiftly lifted his shield again to deflect Ganondorf's fresh attack.

Vaati clenched his quivering fists. He had to say it. Just say it. He was going to explode if he didn't. His desperately screaming voice shot out over the violent clangs of metal--"_Well what if I _had?!?! _What if I _had _killed people_?!?! _Would you have killed me then_?!?!"

The world began to blend and blur together before Link's eyes as he fought off Ganondorf's blows. Everything was just a blur of black, red, and silver streaking this way and that around him. And gradually, some deep, dark substance was bleeding into it. It was behind him. It began around Ganondorf's shoulders and grew, seeping and molding itself into a particular form...

Link felt his breath stab the inside of his chest. He nearly buckled to the ground with the pure, physical shock. _What?! How...?! Why is _that

In another instant, the piercing blade connected. Link found his body hurtling through the air. He slammed against a cool, crushing surface and the world was unrealistically solid again. He could see every little swerve and nuance of the blue marble surface...hear every little anguished grain of emotion in Vaati's otherworldly screams. A crippling, searing pain blossomed somewhere on the upper part of his right arm. Desperately, his other arm tripped forward, fumbling for the Holy Sword just a few inches away from his fingertips.

Ganondorf's low, malevolent chuckling reached his ears. "What's the matter? Had enough already? Where's all your big talk about avenging your parents now?"

With the little strength he had left in his hands, Link finally managed to grasp the sword's platinum hilt and pull his body back up to a kneeling position. A cold gust of wind announced that Vaati had rushed down to his side. He took Link's arm in his thin, pale hands, and at last, Link noticed it himself. The blow from Ganondorf's sword had ripped apart his right sleeve and left a gaping wound running from his shoulder to his elbow. Well, at least he could be thankful that he hadn't taken his entire arm off. Link cringed from the horrible stinging as Vaati laid his hands on it and desperately began to heal it.

While they were distracted, Ganondorf stepped in front of them. He raised his sword, poising to plunge it finally straight into Link's chest.

Vaati tore himself away from his arm, putting all his energy into the thick blue sphere of energy he formed around them.

The sword crashed against it, rebounding against Ganondorf and knocking him backwards to his knees. He grunted, lowly, as he struggled back to his feet. "And what happened to you?" he growled. "I thought you were on my side."

Vaati gulped back his tears, holding up his hands to maintain the shield's intensity. "I-I'm not going to let you hurt Link! No matter what, I'm not going to just let you kill him!!!"

Ganondorf chuckled again as he drew closer. He raised his right sword again, poking playfully against the sparking barrier. "A magician, are we?" he teased. "While I don't know anything about you, I do happen to know a few things about magicians. And I know that their magic can't hold out forever."

Vaati's breath knotted in his throat, though he didn't back down for an instant, and Link carefully moved himself upwards to fix him with a worried stare. Ganondorf raised his sword again... And then, something very unusual happened.

A loud banging echoed through the throne room, accompanied by the sound of someone crying. "Your Lordship!" one high voice called out into the empty space.

Ganondorf's head snapped around in the direction of the noise, and immediately the sword clanked to the ground. Vaati let his shield drop for a moment as the mad Gerudo king rushed in the direction of the side doorway.

Two scantily clad women with skin the same dark hue as Ganondorf's stood on either side...and in between them was the small, ragged, sobbing form of Princess Zelda.

"What are you two doing?!" the giant man barked at the Gerudo guards. "I told you not to disturb me unless you had discovered the location of the third shard!"

"We _have_, your majesty!" the one on the right protested. "We just happened to be patrolling the west hallway, when we saw..."

Zelda drew in a raspy breath and turned her head up to glare at the man with narrow, blackened eyes.

"Aaaaaaugh!"

Vaati's attention was instantly fixed on Link again when he doubled over in fresh pain, squeezing his hands to his head again. "L-Link! Your head...!"

Gradually, a sinister grin grew and spread over Ganondorf's dark face. "Ah...of course. I should have figured as much from a shrewd little princess like you. You managed to retain the third shard, while you let me believe that it had been embedded within another of your closest relations. Clever, I'll give you that."

"What are you talking about?!" Link managed to shout as he writhed back and forth within Vaati's arms.

Ganondorf's grin only widened. "It's no use now," he spoke again, directing his words at Zelda. "Within such close proximity, it can't help but reassemble itself!" He dropped his other sword, as if it was nothing more than a plaything and began to raise his hands.

Zelda shook a bit within the Gerudo women's strong, tanned arms, but her strength was nearly depleted. Liquid was steadily dripping off her face from underneath her mass of blond hair.

"Giiiiieeh!" All of a sudden, Link ripped away from Vaati, his hands falling from his head and pressing against the floor. He trembled so badly that he could barely see straight...but when his vision finally solidified again, it was focused exclusively on the back of his left hand. There, the golden shape of a triangle was glowing on the surface of his skin...and two other blackened triangles accompanied it.

Vaati's heart quickened. "I...I knew it..." he finally spoke, half in awe and half in trepidation. "It's...the Light Force?!"

"Not the Light Force anymore!" Ganondorf proclaimed. He turned around, revealing his own glowing hand in triumph. "You see, when I attempted to extract the Light Force from Princess Zelda's soul, the little meddler managed to split it into three pieces, preventing me from obtaining the whole thing. She said she had sent the other two pieces into the souls of her closest friends." Here, one shapeless ball of light emerged from the center of the man's broad chest and hovered in the air in front of him.

Vaati automatically shrank away as another identical ball of energy permeated through Link's back and flew towards the first one.

"But little did I know, the Princess was still holding the third piece inside her!"

Zelda's body began to writhe and quiver, as if electrocuted. The two exotic women struggled to keep a firm grip on her. And then, a terrible, horrifying scream issued from her body...and another large particle of light appeared.

Ganondorf's face was now a maniacal grin, dark eyes bulging with insane excitement.

Vaati's chest clutched. Link scrambled around to his knees.

"It has become the Triforce--and the Triforce has become mine!!!"

The three globes of light then solidified. For an instant, they formed a triangular shape...then streamed finitely into Ganondorf's chest.

Vaati leaped to his feet...but he didn't know what to do. He remained paralyzed with fright. Zelda fell limply from the women's arms, unconscious. Link clutched the Holy Sword as he knelt.

Ganondorf's body began to change. At first, he only grew. His muscles bubbled and bulged forth, tearing through the sleeves of his robe. Gigantic plates of armor wrapped and hardened around him, covering every inch of his body. His feet stretched...and sharp, deathly claws pushed out of the ends. His deep voice screamed out--in the process twisting and warping into an inhuman roar. His head was next, rippling and molding itself into a gigantic monster's. His red hair retreated into the back of his head, the front of his face lengthened, forming into a beast's snout, short pointed ears poked onto the sides of his head... When his mouth again opened, great peircing fangs burst out from the gums, the former size of his entire arm length. The beast rose higher and higher, its head almost touching the domed ceiling of the throne room. And there was nothing he could do.

Vaati stood firmly against the smooth floor, feeling smaller and smaller every second. His face turned up, giant eyes fixated on the beast. As Ganondorf's transformation solidified, every ounce of his being squeezed tight. ...And a single tear dropped from his left eye.

"_Vaati, move_!!!" Link's body crashed against his, forcing him out of the way and slamming him into the floor. Link jabbed the Holy Sword against the enormous, muscled fist which lied a moment more in that spot after failing to crush the sorcerer.

With the Triforce now out of his body, Link felt incredibly much lighter and free of pain. Somehow, not even the half-open wound on his upper arm hindered him--it wasn't his sword arm anyway. Now the _true _battle could get under way.

Vaati's body trembled, his wings twitching as he pulled himself back up. The booming smashes and clinks of Link battling against the monster rumbled underneath him.

The little green streak swerved and rolled around the oversized fists and fangs that came zooming down after him. He panted faintly, furiously jabbing at every side of the appendages, trying to find a weak point. Once he managed to pierce a small hole in the beast's leg, and a giant burst of energy shot out of the creature's palm, from which he scarcely managed to escape.

The clutching feeling pressed at Vaati's chest again. He knew this scene. It was a terrible inner feeling of déjà vu. He knew exactly how this felt. "Link!!!" he finally cried, yanking his body back up. "D-Don't kill him!!!"

_CR-ASH! _The Ganondorf-beast once again brought his foot down with all his might, spraying bits of stone all around it. It was a miracle that the whole floor didn't fall through.

"It's no use now, Vaati!" Link called back to him, the frustration apparent in his ragged voice. He leaped on top of the foot and tried to stab it, ducking just in time to dodge a low-swinging fist. "He's completely transformed now! Whatever ounce of humanity he ever had is gone!" Link backflipped off the clawed foot as it moved, and slid across the floor to avoid another burst of energy hurled at him. "He's not like _you_--he accepted this! He _wanted _this!"

Vaati's face squeezed and narrowed as he continually watched Link moving in conjunction with the monstrous creature's blows. _Is that true? I didn't think that anyone... That might only be my own experience..._

One of his hands slowly curled into a shaking fist, and he turned his face down into his purple bang, blotting out the horrific image before him. _No. No, no one wants this. He's too stubborn to ask for help. I know it. I know that's not true!_

Vaati wasn't even sure of what he was thinking, but as the violent echoes of the battle rang in his ears, his quivering hands moved upwards. _I've got to find out_, he realized. _I've got to see if he's still there!_

His fingers tripped across his belt buckle, slipping it apart. And then, with a mad, desperate desire, he whipped it off...and tore his tunic over his head, shoving it to his feet. The moist, red eye opened up in the center of his chest...and, fixing his position towards the lumbering beast...he pressed the ones in his head closed.

Almost immediately, he found himself immersed in a whirlwind of stinging yellow sand. Visions whirled in front of him, almost too quickly to identify them. Skulls gleaming in the sun, babies shrieking in the arms of grim, guards, women screaming, tears flinging from their eyes, hands and feet bound together with thick ropes, an emaciated girl dropping lifeless, being smothered in the blowing sands, the rest of the women simply walking over her, a red splotch bursting out in the middle of the orange dust, something too gruesome to describe.

Vaati tore his eyelids back open, severing the connection. Tears soaked his cheeks, sweat coated his body, and a sick bile was building in the middle of his throat. He had to cough and choke before regaining his bearings.

His bleary eyes turned for a moment to the blurry green shape of Link, still struggling to find the creature's weak point. No. There was no use trying to explain to him. This was something he would have to do himself.

Vaati spread his wings out...and with a definite shove against the floor, he took to the air.

Link was too busy even to notice. He panted, desperately, perspiration flying from his blond bangs as he slashed again at the thickly muscled leg with all his might.

Vaati's light form whooshed upwards through the air, small and insignificant against the giant boar's head that it was approaching. Focused downwards on the grasshopper attached to its ankle, the creature didn't yet notice the little purple fly that landed on its shoulder.

Vaati flew as close as he could to the giant flopping ear sticking up on the side of its head and gathered all of his wind. "GANONDORF!" he boomed into the brown, cavernous eardrum. "IT'S OKAY! JUST REMEMBER WHO YOU REALLY ARE!"

A rumbling grunt came from deep within the creature's throat. Vaati quickly back-flapped as its enormous head began to turn. Bright, beady black eyes glared back at him from over its fanged snout. Then, a giant hand came zooming from its left side.

Vaati's slight form just barely managed to slip from its grasp. He trembled as he stood just out of its grasp on a windowsill. _I don't know what to do... I've got to reach his heart somehow, but now, it's buried so deeply behind all that power, it's nearly impossible._ His mind whirred crazily, trying to figure out if there were any spells he could use.

"Vaati, what are you _doing_?!" Link yelled up from the floor. "Do you have a death wish?!"

One moment later, Vaati desperately threw himself from the windowsill,dodging a massive blast of energy that completely blew the window apart. Glass shards rained down towards Zelda and the two Gerudo women below. They dragged themselves out of the way just in time.

Vaati panted, feeling his heart banging at his ribs. He reeled his body around in mid-air, thumping his wings to gain leverage. He pulled himself out of free-fall and zoomed to the other side of the room. Unfortunately, it seemed that the beast had picked him as its new target.

_Well_, Vaati found himself thinking as he whirled through the air, dodging continued attacks. _At least I succeeded in drawing his attention away from Link!_

But Link only felt worse. He couldn't do anything to help Vaati while he was in the air. He'd have to just start attacking the creature's legs again. He stabbed the Holy Sword against the same small hole he'd punctured before, drawing only a miniscule trickle of blood.

The creature roared in frustration, shot a beam down at Link, but then continued to swipe at Vaati. The wind stirred by the enormous hand blew by his left side.

Then, the next time it approached, he desperately shot forward, meeting it where it fell to a halt. Almost without thinking, he threw his arms around the thick tip of one finger. No luck. The creature only attempted to crush him between its hands. Once again, his thin body allowed him to slip away unharmed. _What am I supposed to do?! My eye only lets me see into other hearts--I can't send messages to them. _

The idea came so suddenly and unexpectedly that Vaati almost dropped out of the air. _Eyes...that's it! The eyes..._

When Link saw Vaati speeding purposely forwards again, he returned to slicing at the opening wound with renewed vigor. If he could do anything to help distract the monster from hurting Vaati, he would do it, no matter how stupid and reckless he was acting. And if it didn't work, he was still making some kind of dent in its composition.

Vaati had never felt so completely focused in his life. The great mountain of brown flesh rose before him again, as he swerved and twirled gracefully through the air to avoid attacks. If only he could reach those tiny black pools, he might be able to dive into them... _This is it..._his inner voice echoed. _I've got to reach out and touch his heart...to allow him to relinquish the Light Force. I don't know if it can be done...but I've got to try something! _

From below, Link hacked at the growing wound with mounting rage. _Why is Vaati doing this?! _He bitterly thought. _He's risking his life for no reason! It's not worth trying to save this monster's life! If I lose him because of this stupid belief...!!!_

The shining blade of the Holy Sword suddenly plunged into the tough, muscular surface in front of him. A horrible, booming scream of agony crackled through the atmosphere, and a warm, sticky liquid splashed over Link's tunic. He wiped some of it off his hair before rolling out of the way of a giant set of swooping claws.

And then, as he pulled his body back up and the world reeled around his head, that same substance crept back into his line of vision. He whipped the sword out in preparation. The black atmosphere grew and congregated in front of him. His heart stopped for a split-second. It smiled and waved to him...then disappeared in a shower of black particles again.

_I...I'm...Am I...really...? _His body faultered and began to quiver. His eyes focused down on the trembling fist below him...clutching tightly to a bloodstained sword.

Vaati's whole face cringed. He summoned his wind powers, propelling his body faster forwards. He saw the deep, fanged mouth open wide, roaring with agony, and his insides squeezed together again. He had to do this _now_!

At last, he glided to a halt just five yards in front of the creature's eyes, the cool air resisting against his back. The boar snout closed...and the round, beetle-black eyes connected with him.

Vaati summoned all of his feelings--all of his sorrow, fear, and empathy--and poured it into his face. Tears again welled up below his own eyes, but he couldn't stop now. He had to reach Ganondorf's soul--to let it know that he understood, that everything didn't have to end like this, that it could still have a life of its own...that he wished with all his heart to save its existence.

The creature began to move. It was growing closer and closer... In another instant, Vaati found the wind again pressing into his back, and the rest shooting past his sides. The monstrous head seemed to be falling down towards him. It lunged at him, with its entire body, falling towards the ground. With an incredible crashing noise, a massive hand came down, catching the fabric of Vaati's pants and pinning his legs to the ground.

"_Vaati_!!!" Link screamed, immediately forgetting his bloody hands.

The creature bent its head closer and closer... Desperately, Vaati held his arms out straight, pushing back against the giant fleshy snout, uselessly trying to prevent it from crushing him. And then...it stopped.

Vaati's head turned back up, and his eyes widened as they gazed into those same little round black ones. It had stopped. It could easily crush him to death right this instant...and yet it hesitated. His heart pounded in his ears. For a strangely serene moment, Vaati thought he could almost detect the glimmer of a soul behind those monstrous warped eyes...

_SLLLISSSSH!_

"VAATI!!!"

Vaati's light torso spun limply to the side. The blow from the piercing claws left a chopped, bloody mess down the side of his face and neck. He flopped to the stained floor like a ragdoll, red blood trickling over the white skin of his bare shoulders.

A ragged, agonized breath leaked out of Link's mouth, and he felt dry tears stabbing at his eyeballs. _No, I don't care about YOU! _He told the dark substance. _It doesn't matter! This thing killed my mother and my father...I'm not going to let it kill my Vaati too!!! _And though weary and covered in blood, Link brazenly rushed at the monstrous creature once again, the Holy Sword held high, ready to resume battle.

_No_. A dim spirit of consciousness blinked into existence, even against the faded backdrop of warlike shrieks and inhuman roars. _No, I'm not dead. _

Vaati couldn't feel his body--he felt as if he was floating outside of it...but he knew he wasn't dead. Something was very different. He was getting back to his feet. Nothing hurt. He didn't feel anything. For a moment, he thought he saw Link's whitened, terrified face, flecked with brown spots. A white chamber flashed before his eyes...but it was gone in an instant.

More images were flashing around him, flitting through his heart. The skulls, the claw, the mask, the pillow, the tower, the black, the taste, the rush, the scream, the awful, awful pain... And then it faded away. It simply simmered and calmed...until it had completely evaporated.

Link toppled to his knees, from what he could never know. Darkness was once again consuming his vision. The deadly claw in front of him disappeared. And then...he felt something gliding over him. Something brushed over his trembling, hunched back. Gently...and assuredly.

Vaati couldn't feel anything. But he knew he could move. And he knew he could see. He could see everything. In front of him was the boar-like monster standing on its clawed feet...in front of him was a tall man in a long black robe. There it was...everything. There was the mask...there was the chamber...he could see the others plainly before him. He was no longer trapped...but behind those others, he saw that soul bound fast...consumed by the spreading darkness, falling limp and helpless against the wall... He could show it. He could show it how to unbind itself.

Vaati commanded his arm to lift...and his hand to spread out. And then...the two touched.

The next thing Link remembered seeing was the streams of magic. Deep, black rivers of magic flowed and weaved like ribbons across the entire room. They danced and wisped from one single spot...in the center of the monster's breastplate. Everything was sacredly silent. Link could only tumble back and knot his breath up inside him.

Something was slowly beginning to descend... No, the form of the monster was collapsing on itself...gently falling back and re-molding itself as the magical essence floated off its chest. It formed gradually smaller and smaller...and in the exact middle point of this breath-taking magical spirit was Vaati. His eyes closed, peacefully, his wings folded, comfortably, though he remained suspended, his hands resting, lovingly, over that single spot of Ganondorf's chest. A burst of brilliant light filled the room for one brief moment...then softly faded away.

All of a sudden, Link felt unusually...settled inside. Whatever rage, anxiety, and fear he'd felt earlier was soothed away. He amazedly got to his feet, placing a hand on his head. Not too far away from him, the two Gerudo women were watching with widened eyes...and between them, the jewel-blue eyes of Princess Zelda glowed to life again.

Vaati's figure came nearer to the ground, as the form around it diminished and molded back into a human shape. And then, at last, both of them settled themselves back, solidly, kneeling on the ground. The magical black streams slowed and gradually faded once again. Vaati's body limply flopped over the figure it had been resting against. And when the black essence finally cleared...there, with Vaati's pale arms resting over his shoulders...was a very stunned, amazed, and shaken Ganondorf.

The entire world seemed to fall into a perfect, silent hush.

Vaati's body at last slipped off of his shoulders, flopping lifelessly to his knees. All Ganondorf could do was stare wordlessly at it in breathless awe.

At last, softly and gently, Link dared to draw a bit closer, dropping the Holy Sword in his spot. He came right up in front of his nemesis, the deepest parts of him glowing from inside.

"My Lord!" "Your Majesty!" The two Gerudo women suddenly burst out, rushing to his side and falling to their knees on either side of him. But for the moment, he didn't even notice.

Ganondorf's hunched form slowly began to move. One dark hand gently reached out from underneath the long sleeve of his robe. And amazingly enough, it cupped, tenderly, over Vaati's head...and began to brush its soft, damp hair.

Link's heart ached, distantly, as he watched.

Ganondorf carefully turned his head over, noting the horrific gash on the exposed side of his face. At last, his voice awkwardly rumbled forward...just as deep, but somehow, much softer and less malignant. "...Did I...do this?"

"...Yes," Link softly nodded. "You did."

Ganondof's large, red-maned head turned up, at last noticing his presence. For a moment, his dark eyes met his...but they contained none of their former loathing. He turned his attention back down to Vaati again. Gently, he fingered one of his wings, lying limp and spread out over the ground. "This boy..." he stated, in whispery tones of wonderment. "He's...he's unlike any othet creature in the world. He's...a melded being. He was capable of reaching me, even when I myself couldn't." The Gerudo bent closer over his shoulders to get a better look at Vaati. "...He gave me my life back."

By now, Princess Zelda had regained some of her strength. Carefully, she was making her way back to her feet, her stained and ripped dress falling back around her ankles.

Link looked over in amazement when she gravely stepped up to his side. Instead of panicked and enraged, her face just looked old and burdened...as if she was carrying some sore, inner sorrow.

Without even looking up, Ganondorf could feel their eyes on him...and staring into the form of the limp little sorcerer, he let everything which he'd just struggled through so fiercely tumble out of his mouth.

"Our tribe has always been treated with apathy and hostility. Our allotted home in the Gerudo desert is harsh, at best. There is never enough food, hardly any water...I've watched countless young girls starve and waste away before my eyes."

The two Gerudo women clutched his shoulders tightly, as if trying to resist the painful memories he was stirring up.

"Others catch the diseases carried on the sands of the earth... They simply drop dead in the midst of our travels, and we often do not even have the strength to bury them... Of course, I have been doing as much as I can, but the numbers are simply too many."

Zelda was turning her head down, and Link glanced over at her before continuing to solemnly listen to the Gerudo king's tale.

"We found that we could survive by ransacking Hylian travelers. We trained to be fierce combatants, developing the art of the double-sword, and we stole from any person who dared venture into our territory, taking food, water, supplies, and horses. Naturally, if any of those travelers made it back to Hyrule, they came with terror stories about our race. We were branded as barbarians--creatures less than human. Now, knights--knights from your own precious Hyrule--came invading into our land. They killed many of us, and took any young and healthy girls for themselves, subjecting them to a life of slavery. That was when we made up out minds--no more travelers should be allowed to leave the desert alive to spread more fear and hatred.

Zelda's face narrowed, gravely and she lifted it out of her hair again. And at the same time, Ganondorf lifted up his face again, as if sensing that the time had come.

"I finally decided to do something to turn the matter around. I had come here, to this castle, to plead with the King to induct the Gerudo Desert as an official part of Hyrule. In this way, we agreed to let travelers pass unharmed among us, in exchange for the protection and aid of the government. Only, as you well know, my offer was continually denied or simply brushed to the side as a trivial matter. Eventually, I had stayed long enough among the people of the castle to learn of the Light Force, and where to look for it. I was desperate--I saw no other option but to seize this Light Force for myself and use it to bring the entire kingdom under my control."

Zelda's hand softly fell into a light nod. At last, she ventured to speak. "...Yes." Her voice was just as soft, weak, and solemn. "I knew of your proposition. But now I truly understand. And while I may not yet hold any power of my own, I am capable of swaying my father's decisions. ...And I will gladly consent to your wish."

Two beautiful, almost tearful smiles lit up on the Gerudo women's tanned faces. They delightfully hugged closer to Ganondorf's arms and exclaimed their thanks. But Ganondorf still didn't look any happier. His head turned down again...at the motionless winged sorcerer.

All at once, Link burst out of his blissful bubble when his gaze followed. "..._Vaati_!" Without a second thought or hesitation, he fell to the floor beside his limp body, only a foot away from his arch nemesis. "Wh-What happened?! Is he okay?!"

"I don't know..." Ganondorf gravely replied. "He hasn't moved. I'm...concerned."

Zelda stood apart from them, watching the odd combination of wills over one person. A terrible, deep feeling shivered through her heart when she remembered. She could do something about this! With one ripped pink glove, she brushed the tear from her darkened cheek...and softly stepped up beside them. Her glassy eyes settled down on the center...on the thin, pallid body between them.

"...I know I haven't been very good to you," her voice began, soft and held back by tears. "And that was because of my own blind jealousy and prejudice. While I told you that I wouldn't hold your deeds against you, I marked you as the fault, since I was unable to believe that Link could love you of his own accord." Her voice was growing slightly stronger, though the tears now began to poke through. "I-I hurt you terribly...and I know you didn't deserve it."

Softly, she knelt next to them, at Vaati's wounded head...and carefully took it onto her lap. His pale purple and red face looked at peace against her pink skirt. "I know you are afraid," she whispered, speaking only to him. "But I am certain that this won't hurt you anymore." A soft yellow glow started up at the tips of her fingers, and then spread down the rest of her hands. "Please...please accept this."

Zelda closed her eyes, letting the essence flow more steadily out of her. Link and Ganondorf watched with wonder as the giant gash over his cheek faded away and healed. The rest of his body seemed to glow from within as it absorbed the yellow light from Zelda's hands. And then, Zelda pulled her hands back, tired and satisfied.

Both Link and Ganondorf leaned further over, their heads almost touching. And at last, the white eyelids fluttered...and three ruby eyes were again gazing back at them.

One of the most wonderful, brilliant, grateful smiles bloomed on that beloved face. There was so much happiness within it that tears began to squeeze out at the corners of the first two eyes. "L-Link! _Ganondorf_!" He shot up in a sitting position, and threw his arms around the Gerudo king's thick waist. "I-I'm so happy! You're okay! I knew you'd be all right! I knew you could do it!"

Ganondorf remained silent, but for a moment, his face flickered...with the possible hint of a true smile.

"What did you do?" Link curiously asked Zelda, who was still kneeling on the ground next to him.

"I poured some power from my Triforce into him," she softly explained. "Just enough to revive him and heal him. It's the least I could do."

Link gazed back at his sweetheart, currently laughing as the Gerudo ladies fingered his ponytail. "It's amazing," he conceded. "It's like a miracle."

Vaati turned around to hug him, but suddenly leaped back. "Aaugh! Ohmygosh, Link! You look like a mass-murderer! Here..." Holding out his hands, Vaati used his newly recharged magic to clean all the blood off him, and even to heal the remaining wounds on his arm and cheek. Meanwhile, the Gerudos were bandaging the small puncture on Ganondorf's left leg.

Everything felt strangely peaceful and settled. Vaati hurried to find his tunic amongst the wreckage of the throne room, a bit embarrassed to be shirtless in front of the Princess. Zelda re-awakened her father and untied him, sending him off to bed to be dealt with later. Thankfully, the Hyrule king was too dazed to even notice his surroundings. Then, Ganondorf agreed to accompany them, while his Gerudo assistants worked to retore the throne room.

They traveled through the castle basement, back in front of the Elemental Sanctuary, where Link then used the completed Holy Sword to draw all of the world's monsters into the enormous chest...and to finally seal it for good. All of the moblins and darknuts in the castle disappeared, as did the Redeads roaming the ransacked Hyrule Town. Even the town itself seemed to blend and blossom back to life once it was free of their presence. Almost immediately, the townspeople began returning from their refuge on the shores of Lake Hylia, rejoicing at the unexpected turn of events.

And then, after all this internal business had been taken care of, all four of them finally ventured to step back outside. Link had to shield his eyes against the painful glare of the bright sun. He'd almost forgotten what the world outside was like--he thought he would never return from the castle's deathly sanctums.

They looked around, up into the bright, hopeful sky, and into the vast expanse of land in the distance...for the moment, too tired and pleased to notice their circumstances.

The four ragged, beat-up survivors of the battle stood on the top step leading from North Hyrule Field into Hyrule Town...and around them, curious and amazed townsfolk were gathering.

In an instant, Link snapped out of his own reverie and noticed their hushed chatter.

"Who is that?"

"There's a man wearing a black robe..."

"My goodness, I wonder what happened!"

"Look! It's that same evil sorcerer from last year!"

"That must've been it! That's what was causing the monsters to reappear!"

"It's the dark wizard, Vaati! See, he's got demon's wings!"

"Hey!" Link burst out, stepping down in front of the others. "This 'evil sorcerer' just saved all of your lives! So, I'd shut up and be grateful!"

Zelda and Ganondorf shrunk to the back of the crowd, but Vaati was immediately alerted to attention. His eye widened in front of the giant mob of Hylians. Sure, he'd been able to address the picori before, but...these were the very people he'd been trying so hard to avoid for the past year.

Link reached back and drew him to his side. "Vaati's been suffering all year, wishing somehow to make everything up to you. Remember about a month ago, when strange things started happening around town? When good things just seemed to happen to you, as if by magic? When all your work was just done for you? When your fondest wish was granted? That was Vaati!"

"L-Link, please..." Vaati anxiously clutched at his shoulder. "You don't expect them to believe that..."

But already, the people were whispering confusedly amongst themselves. They all clearly recalled those days, though not all of them had had a chance to be affected. It couldn't really be true...but what other explanation was there?

"In fact, if it wasn't for Vaati, all of you would probably be dead now!" Link continued, vehemently. "He nearly sacrificed his own life so that not one person would be harmed. He's done something amazing and miraculous that I'm sure no one else on this planet could have done!"

Suddenly and unexpectedly, a smile broke over Vaati's face. Gradually, he began to laugh and shake his head, and everyone's eyes turned towards him.

"What are you talking about?" he chuckled. And for a moment, he turned back, his eyes connecting with two others, set in a dark face. Though the face didn't move an inch, it was sure that a smile was lurking behind them. Vaati beamed. "_I _didn't do anything."

And then...amazingly enough, the crowd began to murmur...and then to break into cheers. The beautiful blue sky rang with shouts and clapping, laughter and excited voices. People lined up to meet and shake hands with the four of them...Ganondorf included. Some children congregated around Link, asking him streams of excited questions and wanting to touch the Holy Sword, and others formed a ring around Vaati, feeling his wings and demanding that he show them some magic. It was a wonderful, turbulent, dreamlike moment that none of them would forget for years to come.

Then, magically, all by itself, the copper bell above them began to ring. The townspeople fell away in wonder, and stared up at the small miracle. Link and Vaati turned towards each other to get a better look.

Zelda smiled, a perfect sense of inner peace within her. Everything was going to be fine now. No one had to suffer any longer.

And when Link and Vaati turned away, their eyes met each other. There, within each other's eyes, they could see everything...all the struggles they had overcome together, all the times of bliss and laughter...and the true, deep feeling of mutual love within their hearts. Vaati slipped, naturally, into Link's arms, wrapping his own around his waist. It was so warm and glowing and perfect... Together, they both began to move closer, their eyes closing, comfortably and peacefully. Closer...closer... And then...at last...their warm, soft lips touched.

A moment later, they pulled away, Link's face soft and contented, Vaati's lightly flushed with wonderment.

"Aaah!" Vaati suddenly broke into a panic, his face blushing even redder. "I knew it! I'm a bad kisser, aren't I?! Oh gosh, I'm sorry!"

Link chuckled, his own cheeks gaining a tinge of pink. "Nah," he decided. "You just need a bit more practice!" And he pressed his face to Vaati's once again.

Zelda giggled, Ganodorf crossed his arms, and the rest of the people clapped in congratulations.

And even as they again separated and returned to their own business, the happy laughter, as well as the joyful song of the bell, echoed into the new and hopeful world.

(-)

"_Vaaaaaaa-teeeee_! By the Goddesses, haven't you got that trunk packed yet?!"

"I'm coming! Geez! You know how many darn spell books I have!"

"Well, you don't need _all_ of them, do you?! You can leave the extra ones on the entrance when you leave!"

"Okay, okay, okay! I'm coming!!!"

Link sighed and glanced up at the figure filling the frame of his front door. "I'm sorry about this."

The tall, dark-skinned man dressed in an armored suit and cape nodded to him. "It's no problem."

There was a sudden bang and a rumbling shock from the second floor. "Oh. Here he comes now."

Vaati came zooming down the wooden stairs into Link's dining room, a large trunk floating along behind him. Thank goodness Smith had to be out on a business trip this morning--the poor old man would've been scared out of his wits. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he breathlessly cried, running to meet the man in the doorway. "I don't know how long this is going to take, so I had to bring everything that might be able to help us..."

Link had been able to convince his grandfather to let Vaati move in with them, and although he was a little leery about the idea, he'd allowed them to share the room upstairs, while Vaati had built him a new one downstairs. Though he had to return to his own picori home at intervals, Vaati now mostly lived here. He brought shelves of spell books with him so that he could continue his studies while he was in the human world. It had been a wonderful, happy two months...but now, they were about to come to an end.

Link looked over and appraised him as he cheerfully chatted with Ganondorf. It was the first time in a long while that he'd worn his red sandals and puffy shorts, but he was definitely going to need them. His brand-new short-sleeved tunic hung loose and baggy over him, without a belt. The bang on the right side of his face was much shorter--he'd trimmed it as part of Link's birthday present last month--and when you looked into his face, both sparkling red eyes were visible. And then there was the hat, slowly slipping down the back of his head.

Link reached up and fixed it firmly back on the center of his head. "Make sure you keep your hat on!" he warned. "You'd burn up out there!"

Vaati giggled and pulled the wide brim of the old straw hat down over his face. "There. Are you satisfied now?"

"Well, a little further back that _that_! People can't see your face!"

Vaati just laughed and tipped it back up again with one finger. "But my face is going to look really weird to them."

A terrible, grim hush fell between them. Link stared, seriously, up at Ganondorf. "You better make sure nothing happens to him."

"Don't worry," Ganondorf replied, resting one hand over Vaati's shelf-like hat. "If any one of them dares lay a _finger_ on him, they'll have me to answer to."

"Aw, Ganon, you're so kind!" Vaati teased.

Ganondorf's hand clenched, moving back and forth and forcing Vaati's head to bob along with it. Vaati just burst out in laughter. This kind of stuff happened all the time, and Link was getting used to it by now--he knew that the Gerudo king wouldn't really hurt him.

"I told you not to call me that."

"Well, that's what you get for calling me Gufy. Where did that even come from?"

"But it suits you."

"Well, what if I called you something like...Lord Frowns-a-lot. That suits _you_!"

Link smiled as he listened to their light-hearted exchange. But still, he couldn't stop that cold sorrow from gnawing at his heart again.

Today, Vaati was leaving. He had planned this trip several weeks ago...he was going back to the Gerudo Desert with Ganondorf in order to help the impoverished people there. With the combination of their forces, they hoped to figure out how to create a large oasis within the desert which could provide the people with water and fresh fruits and vegetables. Only neither of them had any idea how long that might take.

Speaking of fruits and vegetables... "Hey, Vaati," Link spoke up, interrupting their friendly teasing. "What are you going to eat anyway? There aren't any vegetables... Oh my gosh, you're going to starve to death!"

Vaati laughed. "Don't worry, I can conjure stuff up."

"And I'm sure we could part with some of our precious few non-meat rations," Ganondorf added, putting his hand over Vaati's hat again.

Great. Link took a deep breath. There was nothing left to delay it any longer. The three of them fell silent. "Well..." Link spoke up at last. "Come back soon."

Both of Vaati's large red eyes looked back at him. He smiled. "I will...as soon as I can. And I'll write every day."

"And while you're gone, I'm going to be working on that new sword I promised you, so when you come back, it'll be all ready."

"Great! I can't wait!"

Link couldn't take it any more. He lunged forward and pressed his precious Vaati tightly to his body. Vaati's hat flew off, and he buried his soft purple head into his shoulder.

"Love you," Link whispered, fondly into his ear.

Vaati glowed and squeezed his own arms up over his back. "Love you too."

And then, they were forced to separate, both sets of eyes a little glassy.

Ganondorf set the straw hat firmly back onto Vaati's head. "This thing comes off far too easily. I'll have to get you a chin strap."

Vaati chuckled, though it was a half-hearted effort. "Well...I guess we ought to get going."

And at last, they began to descend the house steps, through the garden. Link stepped up to the doorway to watch them. They descended the entryway steps next, growing smaller as they grew further away.

When they reached the bottom, the small purple form turned...and reached up its arm in a wave. Link waved back with all his might, nearly falling out of the doorway. For a moment, Vaati's wings materialized on his back...and they waved too.

And then, a strange thing happened. All of Link's sorrow simply evaporated...replaced by another, much stronger feeling. It was satisfaction...and a deep, profound sense of pride for him. Here was Vaati in all his true brilliance--standing firmly on his own two legs, forming his own friendships, going off on his own adventures, forging a new and better life for himself. And rather than turning against him, Link found his own love for the purple Wind picori growing.

Though he had turned back around, Link still didn't stop waving. Even as Ganondorf and Vaati became little dark spots against the cloud of trees in the distance...and finally disappeared into them...he didn't stop waving. At last, his arm became too tired to continue, and he let it drop to his side with a sigh.

That same glowing feeling within him, he finally turned from the doorway. He lightly closed the door...and headed straight for the forge.

It was never too early to start working on his present. After all, it was a beautiful, clear summer's day...without a single storm in sight.

(-)

The End


	12. Bonus

Chapter: Bonus!

I don't think I should get in trouble for posting this. It is sort of a "deleted scenes" type of thing, but it contains actual sections of prose, pertaining to my own story. This is the first time I'm doing this, though, because I felt sad that no one would ever get to read these random things I wrote and never used. Yeah...pathetic.

New summary, because I just rediscovered this summary that I had written and liked it much better--and I should have gotten rid of that "eventual" a _long_ time ago.

And Taro is the only thing I own.

(-)

Stats

Time to Complete: A year...and two months. The longest time spent on one story without killing it!

Number of Pages: 274. Completely smashing my former length record of 183 for Mew Galaxy!

Number of Reviews: currently 95...I think it just broke that record too!

Number of Computers Broken: None this time. Thank God.

(-)

Random Useless Trivia

The full title, which I wrote at the top of my hard copy is "The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Magician", but I dropped the Zelda title, because we all know it's Zelda, and while it's got a quest involved, it's not a "traditional" Zelda story.

Things that were not in my original story idea: the eye on Vaati's chest, Vaati being genderless, Ezlo dying, Ganondorf killing Link's parents, Link's "shadow", and the Light Force splitting into the Triforce.

Chapter 7 was uploaded using the document-uploader "pasting" method, because it was down.

Vaati says "I'm sorry" (or some basic variation of it) a grand total of 59 times throughout this story--including the time he said "I'm sorry for saying I'm sorry". That's...a lot...

(-)

Random Unfinished Stuff

1.) Beating the Attack (Vaati's POV)

This was originally supposed to be Vaati's "breaking away from the attack" scene. But I wanted to have him beat the Link one instead, and not beat this one until his showdown with "himself".

(-)

Slowly, a cloud of smoke and pastel fire began to materialize on the other side of the mirror. Smoke and mirrors, I reminded myself. It's all smoke and mirrors. But that thought simply popped out of existence as soon as the blurred particles finished converging.

A heavy atmospheric cloud pressed in on me, constricting my lungs and squishing me into one spot. Not this again. No, it couldn't be happening again. But that was the last of it. My rational, conscious thought was slipping away from me.

I explicitly recalled this image. It hovered, floating menacingly over my head, long clashing pastel banners streaking through the sky. This figure had been looming over me for the past year, fixing its leering eyes and demonic smile to my gaze. This time, it seemed much closer. It phased through the mirror in a smoky, hazy trail and flew up to its typical spot of power.

"No..." I heard my own inner, desperate voice. "...What's going on? I don't want this!" The sounds of crying, screaming, suffering...

The figure raised one sharp, clawed hand and motioned threateningly with the stabbing fingers. It would tear my body to shreds in a few seconds. My trembling left leg began to move backwards. Somehow, I couldn't take my widening eyes off the maniacal sight.

"It's your own mind." A different. closer voice echoed around me, all of a sudden. "It's your own mind making these things. You can control it."

I pondered over that for a few seconds. How could I make it stop? It was too late. This had already happened. "I don't know!" my own voice screamed out. "It's my fault! I should have been killed! What _am _I?!"

The claw was moving closer. It raised up to inflict its fatal blow through my skull, all the while grinning like a homocidal maniac. Warped, warning swirls of black and purple spiraled over its body. It was going to kill me! But I didn't run. I didn't move an inch from my spot.

Flashes of my recent life had come back into my mind. He didn't mind. They didn't mind. I was a fast learner. I was improving. I was a good friend. I was cute when I smiled. "You can control it."

"No." This time, my voice didn't come from the atmosphere around me. It rumbled out and burst from my mouth. "I know what I am. I know who I am. I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to stop this!"

Just like that, the twisted black claw froze in midair. The figure began to dissolve. I defiantly stared it down, as it began to crumple back into gaseous black particles. The pieces grew smaller and smaller, until they reached back and were sucked through the glossy surface of the mirror back from whence they came.

I blinked. The monster was gone. Without any blackouts or interruptions by a panicked, concerned, familiar face. Finally, I'd done it. I'd made it go away. When I looked back into the mirror this time, I saw my own, familiar shape blinking back at me. I brushed a piece of hair out of my eyes and smiled. After all, I really _was_ cute when I smiled.

(-)

2.) The Beginning of Love (Link's POV)

In the early stages of planning, I wanted to have Link and Vaati spend a lot of time in Hyrule Town--staying in places along the way. In this blurb, they were staying secretly at Lon Lon Ranch. Malon agrees to let Link stay, although she doesn't know about Vaati. Here, Link is going into town by himself to get food and supplies, while Vaati stays hidden in the barn. The "Hiking Song" was another thing that got left out--it was supposed to be a silly song Link made up to keep Vaati happy and alert while they traveled.

(-)

I don't know why, and to this day, if you ask me, I still will not be able to produce a legitimate answer. It may have been the length of time we were meant to spend together, or my own confusion and blind excitement. I was eager for another adventure...maybe too eager.

It came on slowly and gently, though I believe now that it had been there since the start. Maybe it was even there from the very start. I wouldn't have believed it. I had been misled by my own heart.

The sudden realization came upon me when I went to market that day. My mind didn't seem to be on the shopping. First, I asked the fruit seller if he had any new potions today. I found myself squeezing a red rupee to check its ripenes. I had lost part of my shopping list, but that didn't bother me at all. I was too busy worrying. Had I left the blanket in the right place? Maybe it had slid off during the night. Was the barn a truly safe place for us to stay? What if some villager had dropped by for a chat and discoverd him?

It kept on intriguing and fascinating me. Each person I passed in the street reminded me of the kind things he had done for them. I felt it had actually been fun. When I passed the arcade and the convenience shop, I saw the smooth surface of his light skin, reflecting the world around him in all sorts of unusual and intriguing shades. The skin didn't even seem real...there were no blemishes or bumps to be seen. It was as if he'd been painted or had slipped into a bodysuit. Then, when I passed the library, I saw the hair, straight, smooth, and shiny. I could feel the soft, silky texture under my hand as it rested on the top of his head. He was like a cat and nudged contentedly against my hand as I petted him. His hair was probably the most enviable thing about him, and I could see poachers wanting to chop it off to make silk coats and ladies' dresses out of it.

Just past the schoolyard now, and down to the bar... I could see him laughing now. Why did he always try to choke back his laughter? There was nothing wrong with it. Just a little lower than a woman's giggle, but not annoyingly high-pitched. But the best thing was the smile that went along with that laugh. It was a good, medium size and lit up his face and eyes like a gently burning candle. He just had a special way about him...you couldn't look at him in that joyous mood and not feel happy yourself. Just cheer him up, and he'll return the favor. I remembered how much it had warmed my heart the first time I really saw him smile. He'd smiled at me before, but those weren't true smiles--just masks and façades. He hadn't really been happy. I was beginning to figure out his moods--disappointed, sulky, bored, pensive, anxious, frightened, dejected, joyful, hyper, determined...he never really grew angry, just frustrated. He was sensitive and tended to switch moods fairly quickly.

Then, when I passed the local hotel and pastry shop, I heard him singing. Liar, I thought, he has a very good singing voice. I listened to him singing the chorus line of our hiking song as he danced along the path behind me. That was another thing I'd learned--he liked to dance. I made up a stupid new verse, and we both shook with laughter as we picked up the chorus. The words might've sounded a little strange with that funny accent of his, but the notes came out clear and sweet. That voice continued to echo in my head as I left for the farm.

Why, I asked myself later. Why can't I stop thinking about him when I'm away from him? I'm thinking about him even when I _am _with him. Watching his reactions when he talks to other people...studying him the way he studies the night sky. I couldn't wait to get back to the barn to see that glimmering, smiling face, and hear his cheery "hilo!" I couldn't get him off my mind. And that was just the way I liked it.

(-)

3.) Vaati's Job (Vaati's POV)

Additionally, when Link and Vaati were staying for a long time at Hyrule Town, they were originally supposed to have to stay there for a while in order to earn enough money to buy the supplies they needed for their trip up Mt. Crenel. I eliminated this whole idea in order to get to Mt. Crenel faster, though I did have them go through Hyrule Town for a bit before going to Mt. Crenel. Still, I really liked this concept of Vaati having to get himself a job--and the way in which he employs himself. He also has much more confidence in this little section than at the point in the story when this is supposed to occur--another reason it got the axe. I also make use of my made-up picori language from Unknown...that's how old it is.

(-)

It was just no use. I'd tried to explain this to him as clearly as possible, but he'd just waved it off as nonsense.

"You've got to try!" he called to me as he ran off to soak his throbbing hands in the nearest bucket of water. Look at all the places I've been already! I got fired from the hardware store and the zoo, but you don't see me crying about it!"

I wanted to add that he did seem to be in a lot of pain, but that didn't seem like it would help my situation as all.

Link had had to rush back to work, leaving me with no choice but to gather my courage and go out looking for a job. I tried the arcade first--no one ever thinks of working there, but I was turned down as soon as he heard my conditions.

I recieved a warm welcome and an enthusiastic reception at the accessory shop, but the same thing worked against me. As soon the owner learned I couldn't take off my cloak, he'd had to let me go. That would always be the problem. How could you possibly hire someone who wouldn't even let you see his or her face? I kept promising him that I wasn't dishonest--that I'd work in the back so that I wouldn't make customers nervous. I made up that I had a rare skin condition and that my face was assuredly much more nerve-wracking than my hood, which wasn't completely a lie, but he just couldn't accept it.

It was very ironic, I thought as I walked away down the streets. If I _had _gotten the job there, I probably would have frightened myself too much. What if I had another attack on the job? I was too much of a liability to be employed. I really couldn't do anything for myself, could I?

As I sulked down the street towards the bakery, I resigned myself to just sitting outside and waiting to tell Link the bad news. But that was when I saw the merchants.

Various men of vastly different nationalities sat on blankets or behind booths. They peddled their wares straight off the street corners. They sold fruits, vegetables, animals, cloth, and pieces of art. I stopped by the jar seller for a minutes or two and smiled. If I'd had any money, I'd probably have bought myself a portable blue pot, but that was why I was looking for a job in the first place.

However, I saw a few signs--"Bill's Towing Service", "Dorothy Pet Sitters", "Mama's Hair and Nail Salon"...and that's when it hit me. I could do this too! I had no wares to sell, and although I could make art, it certainly wouldn't be good enough to be sold. On the other hand, I could offer _services_! My skills weren't exactly in the social norm, but if I set myself up near the arcade, I could possibly hook some young game-players.

The potter stared at me as I excitedly hopped off down the street. I was probably making him nervous, hovering over his stand like that and he would be glad to be rid of me. I was too busy to window-shop now...there was work to be done!

Quickly, I descended on the arcade building like an oddly cheerful phantom and conjured up a blanket to spread over the ground. No one should recognize my sleeves, I reasoned, even the most attentive security guard, and it would only be for a few seconds.

I pulled my hat out of a pocket and took it through the barrier. It was a good thing I'd let Ezlo talk me into holding on to it after all. Objects were easier to transfer, and I didn't even have to sing to get it to come through.

I placed it on the corner of the blanket and pulled out a round, colorful ball. This was just for decoration, of course, but I realized that the red color would greatly compliment my pants, and my appearance would actually add to the effect.

Now, I just needed a sign. It was easy enough to pick up a few extra boards from the lumberjacks' hut, and with a few swishes of magic paint and pounds into the ground, it was all finished.

I sat down in the middle of the carpet and grinned secretly at the ingenius of the idea. I'd finally gotten a job--I just needed to employ myself.

"The Myserious Fortune Teller" my sign read in bold dark blue lettering. "Come, don't be afraid...the future is in sight! Just 10 rupees per reading."

Crystal balls, tarot cards...people loved that kind of stuff. And already, within a few hours of first setting up, I had my very first customers.

But, as with all effective buisnesses, suspicions began to arise. Unfortunately, once you start making good money and earning yourself a good reputation, the big-name companies will start looking for ways to shut you down.

It wasn't that I was taking business away, not at all. In fact, my location actually happened to draw more people into the arcade and the arcade manager tried to make a proposition with me.

I remember the look on Link's face when I showed him my brimming cap. He hadn't even made half of my profits yet. "Keep it up," he told me, "And we'll be able to leave on our trip in a matter of two days!"

I didn't want to leave in two days. I was having too much fun.

I couldn't actually see into the future, but I could peek a bit into a person's aura, which is a bit like mind-reading and make estimates about what they may do in the future. I was especially good with questions. "Should I pursue such-and-such career?" "Would I be compatible with this person?" "Do you think my boyfriend and I have a long future together?" I could make estimates of answers to these questions based on the type of aura that person possessed, and the more I worked at it, the more accurately I could predict their outcome. People began coming back and praising my accuracy in predictions. They recommended friends and family members.

This was an excellent mutual deal. Just imagine--getting paid to study and practice your own requirements! Ezlo, of course, would probably stub his rounded nose at the idea, but I thought it was brilliant.

Sooner or later, the people began to learn that I could communicate with animals. They brought cats, dogs, horses, gerbils, chickens, and anything they could get a leash on. I probably talked to more animals during that week than I had entirely last year. It was excellent practice for my linguistics studies.

I still had a little trouble with complicated human words, and my customers would occasionally comment on my accent, calling it "strange", "cute", "exotic", or "relaxing". They loved being completely baffled when I jabbered away at their pets in my native tongue.

"What language is that?" children often asked me, and "Can you teach me?"

Unfortunately, I had to dissapoint them with a simple reply of "The Animal Language" and "No, sorry. It's an ancient discipline and you must have permission from the high wizards to practice it."

However, as time went on, I began to recieve more and more personal inquiries. "Where did you come from?" "How do you know how to perform magic?" "Why did you come to this town?" "How do you know Link?"

I tried to twist the truth the best I could, but it saddened me that I had to start lying to my customers, and they were pretty blatant lies. Though "I'm a wizard from an alternate world" could be taken in context. Now, I had ran into Link on an initial trip here when I was lost, and since he'd been the first person to offer me any help, I'd vowed to be his assistant and provide him with all the services I sold to my customers.

In truth, I hadn't even told him about my aura-reading ability. I'd used it on him several times already, but hadn't said anything because I was afraid he might find it intrusive. It was essential...it was how I decided whether a person was approachable or not. Eventually, I'd have to let him know, but I had a feeling he wouldn't mind too much at this point.

Slowly, the townspeople were trying to piece together my existence, and although none of them really felt nervous about my presence, they were ever curious. I thought I might be discovered soon, and my intuition is hardly ever wrong.

It was precisely the townspeople's comfort which disturbed the local businessmen. "Alright," one said when he came to confront me. "You. What's your plan?"

"Plan?" I innocently asked. "What plan?"

"You come here outta the blue, set up this booth, win everyone's business and trust. What you planning to do? Turn them all against us with that talking-to-animals and environmentalist crap?"

"No, no, no..." I tried to assure them. "I'm just trying to make an honest living."

But they wouldn't have any of it. At first, they called my magic powers a farce, a con of some sort. But when the people wouldn't believe them, they changed their tune. In a way, they figured out the truth. They accused me of being a sorcerer, and as far as they were concerned, all sorcerers were evil.

A fear and suspicion began to crawl among my customers, hurting business...and that was when the real trouble started.

The guards compelled me to follow them, and what else could I do but obey? It seemed unusual and almost ironic to me. Were these the same men I'd ordered around just last year? The ones I'd thrown into the dungeon just for the satisfaction of it? The same ones that used to quaver in fear and look up at me with blank, dumbfounded stares? It didn't seem possible.

They prodded and urged me forward with the ends of their spears. One even tugged on the ends of my cloak, threatening to yank it off. They poked me down the street, much to some of the townspeople's shock and the businessmen's delight.

Eventually, they led me to a blue-roofed house which they easily confiscated. They roughly led me inside and locked the door behind us. Hah. I knew how to unlock any door, but now wasn't a good time to demonstrate. I had to prove my innocence to them somehow.

They scraped up chairs from the corners, and the cheif sat at the table. Other lower-ranking guards sat right on the ground or stood diligently at windows. They'd lost to me before, and they didn't want to lose again. The leader ordered me to take a seat on the opposite side of the table. It was time for an interrogation session, huh? It was almost as if they were _trying_ to make me nevous so I would spill my guts.

"So..." the chief began. "First of all...what's your name and where do you come from?"

"My name's Wihika," I recited, using the Cricriim word for "mysterious". "I come from..." I paused. I'd been about to say, "A foriegn land", but realized that they could do a boundary records check and figure out that no one named "Wihika" had crossed the border legally. "...er, the clouds."

None of the authority knew much about the Cloud People, and they tended not to deal with them entirely.

"Why the cloak?" the man continued to insist.

"It adds to the effect," I explained. "This is what most people expect a fortune-teller to look like, and it works well on them."

"We're not your customers," the man coldly insisted. I knew he was trying to get me to take it off. "You can take that dreaded thing off."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I can't." From then, I launched into the same story I'd told the accessories manager. "I have a rare skin condition. It's a horror to look at, and if you so much as touch a piece of me, it'll spread."

The cheif didn't seem so convinced about my story, but let it slide anyway, for now. "Now..." he plowed on. "Tell me how you trick your customers. How do you know so much about their lives? Stalking is a crime, you know."

"I don't stalk them!" I blatantly insisted, because I could start telling the truth now. "Nor do I trick them! I give them exactly what they paid for!"

"No," the chief replied. "Magic isn't real. You can't sell someone magic. You're selling them illusions and trickery." At this point, he leaned closer across the table towards me, eyebrows raised, suspiciously. "Unless, of course, you're a _real_ sorcerer. And let me tell you, we don't take kindly to sorcerers around these parts."

"And why the heck not?" I played my role. "Sorcerers aren't criminals. It's only the ones who do bad things with their magic who are dangerous."

"So you're admitting to it?" the chief supposed. "They way you're defending them..."

"If I was, I wouldn't tell you!" I cried. "No wonder your people have so many problems--you don't let sorcerers in to help them!"

"Listen," the man insisted, voice hard. "We had a real bad problem with a sorcerer last year. Nearly destroyed our entire country. We ain't taking any more chances. If you're a Cloud Person, it should have affected you too!"

"It shouldn't matter!" I barked back. "You shouldn't let one incident define your entire policy and way of thinking. Why if I..."

But I never got a chance to tell them what I would do. During the heat of this conversation, I'd risen from my chair, a bad move on my own part. One guard near my chair saw the opportunity and reached forward. He wrapped his fingers around my cloak hem...and yanked the whole thing down.

I froze. The man on the other side of the table froze. For a moment, my life was spared. Then, all hell broke loose.

Before they had a chance, I shot my unlocking spell back, flinging the door open.

The sitting guards leaped to their feet, as well as the chief, and the ones at the windows brandished their spears. "What in the name of Gustov?!" the chief exclaimed.

I bolted for the door as fast as my legs could carry me.

"After him!" the chief barked, but it was too late. I was already out the door...and wide out in the open.

My legs ached and my breath stabbed at my lungs as I tore down the street. Desperately, I clutched at my robe and tried to pull it back up over my face and hair. It was pretty useless, I knew. Some wandering townspeople had already had a glimpse of the terror that still walked among them, and I could just imagine the search party that would be following after us with torches and ropes. The thought of death pushed me to run faster.

The guards zipped after me, probably expecting me to warp out from underneath their grasps as soon as they got close enough to pin me down. I couldn't warp anymore, but I mentally filed it away as an important thing to learn once I got back to the workshop.

I took off in the direction of the west entrance and passed the bakery on the way. As if sensing my approach, Link wandered out of the door, carrying a tray of hot muffins in his mittened hands. His innocent blue eyes grew wider as he watched me and the guards grow closer and closer. His little pink mouth fell open as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't have the time.

_Crash!_ I slammed right into him, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him along with me. The muffin tray flew up out of his hands, and muffins rained down on the happy market-goers below.

"Ah...uh...what the heck are you doing?!" Link yelled at me.

"...Guards..." I panted. "...after me...took off...cloak...not my fault...sorry!"

Link glanced back at the approaching wall of men in shiny armor and carrying pointy spears. He gulped.

"This way!" he cried. Then, suddenly, our positions changed. Link stuck out his foot, screeched us to a halt, and pulled me down a side alley. He pressed me against the brick wall of the back of the school building, and we both held our breath as the tromping of the rushing guards approached.

They were getting closer...closer...and then, fainter... They had passed on by us.

Link and I exhaled in unison, and he slowly let up on me. "They'll be back this way," he gravely predicted. "Once they figure out you're gone."

"They'll think I teleported," I assured him. "We're safe now."

Link violently shook his head. "They won't stop searching. I've seen them like this when you sent them out. You've got to put on your invisibility now."

"But that won't be for awhile," I protested. "Jusr relax for a minute."

Link shook his head again. "Here they come now."

I could hear it too now. The clink and heavy footsteps of an army on the move. They'd certainly find me here, if they split up and started to look around. My own planned strategies were coming back to kill me.

"Oh my Goddesses!" I yelped. "Um..._riihata chiniso, riihata maarana_... Oh, crap, what was the incantation?!"

"You expect _me_ to remember?!" Link cried.

"I...I don't know!" I frantically exclaimed. "I...I can't remember anything after the _riihata_ part, and I've been using this stupid thing all my life!"

"Calm down!" Link yelled. "You've got to calm down so you'll remember!"

"How am I supposed to calm down when guards are getting closer and you're yelling at me like that?! Um...oh, I know now! _Riihata chiniso, riihata maarana. Kriin ut picor lii Mikimishamo_!" There was a brief semi-silence while I waited for the spell to take effect. Then I turned to Link. "Can you still see me?"

Link frowned and nodded. "You're not relaxed enough. You've got to concentrate."

I took a deep breath and tried to calm my pounding heart. Though my lungs felt better, my heart didn't seem to be slowing down at all. "I can't," I protested. "It's not working."

Link suddenly burst into the Hiking Song. "Oohhhhhh...I've been down there in a dirty-back-road..."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "What are you doing?" I chuckled.

"Trying to calm you down," Link said, with a smile. "Is it working?"

Then, to my amazement, I realized that he was right. My heart had slowed down, ever so slightly. "_Riihata chiniso, riihata maarana. Kriin ut picor lii Mikimishamo_!"

Link glanced back in my direction. "Can you see me?" I asked. He shook his head.

And just then, one of the guards came barreling around the corner. He looked straight at me, and I cowered for a moment, under his glare. Then he turned to Link. "Link...I have no idea how this happened, but..."

Link nodded. "I know. I'm looking for him too. It doesn't look like he's back here, though..."

"Well, let us know if you see him," the guard replied. And with that, he was gone.

Link and I breathed sighs of relief again, and Link scowled. "You're a great guy and a fun traveling buddy, but you sure are causing me a lot of trouble."

I just smiled and latched onto his sleeve, even though he couldn't see me. "Well, thank you," I told him. "For putting up with it."

(-)

4.) Taro's Choosing (Taro's POV)

Taro's identity is revealed! As if you couldn't figure it out earlier. Taro just spawned from a random drawing I was inspired to do. I cosidered for a moment writing a story about him as sort of a sequel to this story...but I'm not, so don't get your hopes up. I just can't think of any good plot with him... Plus, I really dislike OCs in general, and writing a story with one as the main character would be difficult for me. Oh well. Enjoy the only story with him I'll ever write...the moment he first meets Vaati!

(-)

It was just another normal day...at least that was what I thought. Miss Merri handed out our breakfast, which was the same old disgusting slop as before. She kept assuring us that it was okay, she'd be recieving the next grant from the government office, but we knew better than to believe that. The majority of us didn't even understand.

A little girl in the corner cried and said she missed her mother's handmade bread. I told her that at least she could remember her mother, so she should be happy. I never even got to meet my parents.

I spent most of the day drawing, slacking off on my arithmatic lessons, and waiting for Bozri to give me that Hero's Badge he'd promised. He wasn't going to remember.

When I grew tired of drawing, I went outside on the front stoop to feel the outside. For some reason, I really liked being in this outside environment. I could feel something different about it. I always felt as if the grass, the flowers, the seeds, the stones, and all the other pieces of the universe would start talking to me. I felt unusually close to them, and sometimes, I thought I actually did manage to talk to them. Once, I told Miss Merri, but she just looked at me like I was crazy, so I never brought the subject back up. I had no idea how this little fact would come back into my life in such a huge way.

The first I heard about it was actually from some other kids who were playing in the background. They whispered fearfully together and I happened to catch the words "old man". Why were they whispering about an old man? I wondered. Had Miss Merri found herself an old boyfriend? If it had been someone looking to adopt one of us, it would more likely have been a couple.

Just then, I heard the clanging of the gathering bell. The kids playing scurried off to wipe the dirt from their feet while I just stood up and plodded uninterestedly back to main cabin room. Whoever this "old man" was, I was sure it wasn't a big deal. Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to chase him off because we were supposed to respect our elders. That was no fun.

Miss Merri didn't seem to think so. She nearly tackled me as she rushed into the room. "Taro!" she cried. "There you are! My goodness!" She dithered on for another two minutes as she removed my raggedy hat and tried unsuccessfully to flatten my pointy green pieces of hair, and straighten my crumbling leaves. "Oh, Taro...oh, Taro...you may have the most wonderful opportunity..."

"Huh?" I asked as I pulled my hat back on and my hair poked out from under it, as normal. "Did you say something...that 'old man'..."

"Well..." Miss Merri finally admitted as she pulled away to give me one final glance-over. "...Your name did come up."

"No!" I immediately burst out in terror. "I don't want to go with some weird old man! I'd rather starve here with you!"

Miss Merri pushed me onto my bed in a frantic spasm. "Oh, if only you knew what you were talking about..." she dithered again. "Just sit here and be on your very best behavior!" She didn't get to explain any more, because she had to rush off to prepare the rest of the kids and do a head count.

I looked across the aisle and gave Bozri a "thanks for nothing" glare, but he didn't notice because he was too busy chattering with the girl in the adjacent bed. I just crossed my arms and pouted.

There was no way some withered old man was going to take me home just for his amusement. I imagined all kinds of awful situations...but as usual, I had no idea what I was talking about.

Once Miss Merri had finished and called out the announcement, the front double doors opened, and everyone fell silent. Grudgingly, I looked up to get a glimpse of what might be my new ancient father...and the pout on my face was slowly replaced by an expression of confusion, surprise, and interest.

The man wasn't _that_ old...his hair was only a dark shade of gray...and so long it nearly swept the floor. Two wrapped-up sections fell in front of his ears and dangled with ending beads somewhere around his knees. His eyebrows were a little thicker than normal. He wore a deep blue robe accented by an elaborate, purple apron decoration, and what drew most attention to him was his long, wooden bird-shaped walking stick. It was actually more of a staff than a walking stick, because he held it rather than leaning on it.

Miss Merri shivered and bowed her head in the corner, but the man didn't even notice. He was too busy looking at us. He looked at us sincerely, straight in the eyes as he moved slowly down the aisle. He smiled at each one of us. There was some inexplicable aura around him, and I could sense that his smiles were true.

At last, he turned around to face me...and looked straight into my eyes. I gasped, slightly. Everything was rushing back to me as I stared into the deep red pools. The voices of the grass, the wind, the sky...the mystic aura of the universe...

He smiled, wider this time, and the deep red pools sparkled from within. "So," he stated. "You're Taro. It's a pleasure."

"Ah...uh...um...i-it's a pleasure..." I couldn't think. I could barely get the words out of my mouth. So much was welling up within me, and I couldn't make any sense of it. I felt like I could connect with the rest of the universe. That only, if I asked politely, it might be willing to bend and twist itself out of shape for me. There was something in his eyes...madness? No, brilliance. I couldn't bring myself to look away.

He nodded, breaking the eye contact with me, and just continued on observing and having these short conversations with the other kids. Finally, he reached the other end of the hall and directed his smile towards all of us. "You can all relax now, if you want," he told us. "My work here is done."

A great sigh of relief emitted from the room, and some of the younger children began to get up to scamper back off to the backyard playground. The usual constant chatter rumbled back to life.

I couldn't move. I felt as if I'd been paralyzed. I didn't want to leave that man. Maybe..._he _could understand my feelings about the world. Maybe he could tell me what was wrong with me and help me overcome it.

Through the squeaky buzz, I happened to catch the desperate voice of Miss Merri in the corner. "So...you won't consider any of them? I know you're looking for an orphan...they're all very well-behaved and attentive. I'm sure you could find one suitable enough. Taro may not be the most studious, but..."

"Yes, Taro..."

The man said my name. I shivered to think I'd made an impression on him. I was a stuttering mess; why would he consider taking me?

"Taro?"

I looked up to see his face hovering above my bed, and for the first time, I noticed how startlingly pale it was. "Taro...do you mind if I talk to you?"

I shivered a little and my heart raced, but I wasn't afraid. There was something in his voice that just made me at ease. He was sincere, kind...and I was more excited than anything else. His tone of voice seemed to tell me that I really had a choice in the matter. I could've told him, "No, I don't want to talk to you", and he wouldn't have seen me as an inconsiderate brat. As it was, I only nodded, but opened my mouth. There were a ton of questions I wanted to ask him, but I couldn't find the words.

He sat gently on the adjacent bed and placed his bird-staff against the wooden nightstand. "Do you know who I am?" This question was also presented gently--he was truly curious.

I shook my head, and then, not wanting to offend him, I asked, "A-Are you someone important?" The amount of dithering and fuss Miss Merri was making sure seemed to suggest as much.

The man smiled again, warmly. "Does it really matter?"

I began to think about it for a few seconds, and then answered, "No."

"That's good," the man told me. "Everyone is someone important."

I wondered slightly if he was testing me...judging me...deciding if I was good enough to be taken back with him. "Do you want to take me?" I asked, bluntly. "Are you going to be my father?"

"That depends," he assured me. "If you want me to take you. But don't worry, you'll have plenty of time before you make such an important decision. I would be honored if you'd come with me, but I wouldn't mind if you didn't. As for being your father, I can't do that. Only your father could be your father."

The more he talked to me, the more I agreed with him. He wasn't like most adults. He really..._cared_.

He looked down at one of my open workbooks and smiled again. "So I see you like to draw."

Embarrassed, I scooped up the book and shoved it back under my bed. I was just showing off what Miss Merri had said--I wasn't a very good student. That was probably a downside. I wondered why I wanted to look good. Did I subconsciously _want_ this man to take me?

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," he told me. "I myself have been known to do more doodling than actual work in my textbooks. It's a lot more fun."

Some adults try to connect with children by acting like them, but this man didn't _have _to act. I could see in his eyes that he was sincere.

Finally, I just burst out and asked my most pressing question. "Can you tell me what's wrong with me? Why I can talk to the grass and feel the voice of the universe whenever I go outside?!"

The man smiled, secretly this time. "Nothing's _wrong_ with you. I _can _help explain what's happening if you want. And I can help you learn what to do with it. Of course, that's only with your consent..."

"Yes!" I burst out. "Please! I want to learn what it means!"

The man reached out and rested a hand against my shoulder. It wasn't too heavy or too hard. "Taro..." he began, the excitement apparent in his tone of voice. "...we may have ourselves the beginning of a wonderful life. I'll be back to visit you tomorrow."

As he swept carefully out the front door, later, my heart leaped and my body trembled with electricity. I couldn't wait for him to come back!

(-)

4.5.) Taro Misbehaves (Taro's POV)

It's not even a story--I just shoved this tiny little paragraph in here to give you all an example of what Taro's relationship with his master is like.

(-)

"This is the first time you've skipped class." Vaati's voice was grave, unusually serious.

I gulped and prepared for the worst. I hated this--he was usually so jovial and open.

"It's been three months. This is bad..."

Slowly, I bowed my head. "I'm really, really sorry," I began to say. "It won't..."

"You should have skipped at least five by now."

My eyes popped open, and my head snapped up. "_What_?!"

"What's the matter?" he asked, looking strangely serious. "You have friends, right? Are you getting along well? ...Or am I just not boring enough? I'll have to work on being more boring."

"No, no; I like the way you teach!" I exclaimed. "But...but I'm not supposed to skip class."

"I know," he replied. "And that's exactly why you should. My techniques need refining..."

(-)

5.) A Night at the Inn (Link's POV)

Here's another little passage from the "extended stay at Hyrule Town" idea. In this one, I had cut out the "staying with Malon" part, so this time, they have to find somewhere else to stay before they start up the mountain. And, of course, Link doesn't have enough money for a room with two beds... Much cuteness ensues.

(-)

It was going to take at least two days to climb the mountain. I had kept track and remembered from the last time I'd reached the summit. I recalled the horrible weather it was up there...in this season, that might even turn into snow. We had to plan ahead for this trip. That was all my reasoning behind my idea to stay overnight in the town. It was already dark, and by the time we reached the mountains, we'd have to immediately set up camp. "Besides," I reasoned. "We're going to be sleeping in a tent for the next two days. We may as well soak up some of the comfort now."

Vaati had tried to protest, eager to win his favor back, but my incessant begging had eventually won him over. That and his own growing fatigue.

"We'd like a room for the night," I told the receptionist behind her stone counter. Vaati stared at her through blurry-eyed slits.

"Sure thing!" she cheerily exclaimed. "What kind do you want? We have the bare room for only twenty rupees, the standard for fifty, and our special deluxe suite for one hundred."

Quickly, I checked my finances. Certainly not enough for a "deluxe suite", but a fair amount. "We'll take a standard," I told her, and slid a fifty across the counter.

"Okay!" she chirped, stashing the money and tossing me the keys. "Enjoy your stay!" It always amazed and frightened me how cheery she could be at all times.

As I pocketed the keys and began to walk away, I realized that I hadn't even consulted Vaati about this decision. Ah, well, he didn't seem to care anyway. He was just too tired. And he'd been the one wanting to start hiking up the mountains. He always overestimated what his body was capable of. He was a lot weaker than he thought he was, which was amusing every once in a while. He was almost collapsing against the wall, eye closed sleepily as I struggled with the lock.

"Dang old doorknobs. Wait...wait...almost got it..." With a quick _click_, the lock finally caught and snapped open. Vaati nearly fell in, and I caught him just in time.

When I looked up, I felt like I was being greeted again. The room was cozy--not too small or too big, and cleanly furnished with bright carpeting sheets, tablecloths, and chairs. For a moment, I didn't even notice my very crucial error. There was only one bed.

"Errrr..." Vaati groaned under my arm. "Are we there yet?"

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered, pushing him over onto the bed. "We're here. You can lie down now."

Vaati removed his cloak, yawned, but didn't make a move to lie down. "But...this is the only bed." Oh, crud. He'd realized it too. "It's not fair," he protested.

"Lie down," I insisted. "You're more tired than I am anyway. You're more delicate, and you're still recovering from the beginning of this month. Believe me, you need the cushioning more than I do."

"No, no," he kept insisting. "It's not a matter of need, it's a matter of right. You deserve the spot of honor; I should be banished to the floor. That's the way it goes..."

"Will you stop with that self-hatred?!" I burst out. "I've told you so many times to stop putting yourself on a lower plane than me. You're just as important to me, if not more important."

"I know," Vaati retaliated. "You're always sacrificing for me, doing all these nice things for me--let me sacrifice for you for a change. I feel awful about it."

"Will sleeping on the floor make you feel better?"

"Yes, actually. Yes, it will."

"Okay, fine then..." Thinking only of Vaati's mental health, I finally agreed to take the bed, while he slipped off to settle on the floor with his cloak. After awhile, I turned off the lights.

Time passed. A lot of it. I stared over at the empty cabinets, then stared down at the black lump huddled in a fetal position on the floor. Vaati was just so hard to look after...his warped way of thinking sometimes made me nervous, for his own safety. The more I thought about him and stared at his curled-up figure, I began to notice something. He wasn't asleep. He was shaking...shivering. He was cold. This bulding _wasn't _heated, after all.

"Come on," I said, before I even knew what I was thinking. I was pushing to the side, making room. "Come up here. Really, I don't mind; it's not a big deal."

"Y-Yeah..." Teeth chattering, he made his way up and over to the bedside. Slowly, gently, he began to lie down next to me. "You used to sleep next to Ezlo all the time. He told me about that."

I shuddered at the implications. "Urgh...why did I do that?"

Vaati snuggled into his side of the covers. "You were probably thinking of him as a cute little birdie and not a hundred-year-old man... I did a good job of it, huh?"

I laughed. Vaati seemed so much more at ease...he could joke about the very things that for weeks prior had kept him wallowing in guilt. "You sure did."

At last, with the peace of mind knowing that Vaati was safe and comfortable, I slowly drifted off into a blissful slumber...

(-)

There were no windows. So there were no pleasant pastoral slants of light streaming across the carpeting and reflecting lazily off my face. Morning was just a dull gray sheen not much brighter than the night. But I could still see. I could still feel.

There was something heavy and unusually warm and soft pressing against my shoulder. Slowly, I glanced over in its direction. Vaati was leaning over against me, his face rested on my shoulder, his hair brushing against my cheek. This had been just what I'd dreaded, and secretly, I think I knew it would happen if he got into my bed. I didn't want to move. I just wanted to let him lie there forever.

At last, when I glanced over at the clock on the wall, I realized that we had to get going. The cleaning lady would probably kick us out in another five minutes. Gently, I took Vaati's head in my hand and pulled it off while affectionately brushing his hair back. "Good morning, sleeping beauty." It was partly a joke and partly the truth, I thought--he really was beautiful.

"Uuhhh...urrrgh..." he mumbled, struggling to open his eyes again. "Already? I just went to sleep."

"It's almost ten o' clock," I told him. "You fell asleep around one."

"Ah, it doesn't matter." He sat up and stretched a little. "It just wasn't enough."

I smiled back in understanding. "It's never enough."

The more and more I got to know Vaati, the more I realized how we were alike. We were struggling students, frustrated and unloved, we liked fruit, we hated getting up...heck, we even liked the same type of clothes. We could probably switch outfits and they would be a perfect fit. It was kind of creepy in that way. That one sentence had held a duel meaning that I wouldn't realize until much later.

Vaati had to get out of the bed first because I was against the wall, and he wasn't happy about it. I slipped out after him as he was grumbling and reattaching his belt.

"We've got to get out of here before ten," I alerted him. "Besides, don't you want to get a head start on those mountains?"

Vaati's red eyes lit up like miniature parking lights. "Oh! Yeah! I forgot!" Immediately, he became more attentive and eager, shoving his feet into his boots and pulling them up.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well that sure got you going." I followed suit, slipping on my own boots and belt.

He produced a brush-and-comb set out of nowhere and started smoothing out the small frazzled ends of his hair that had appeared during the night. No wonder it was always so smooth--he spent all morning carefully brushing and combing it out, washing it in the corner sink, patting it dry, and starting the whole process over again until it was perfectly straight, shiny, and soft. Hair like that required a lot of work, but the end result was something fascinating and beautiful. I wanted to pet him again, but he wouldn't stop brushing for a minute. He brushed all the way out the door after the cleaning ladies kicked us out.

In that respect, I was his complete opposite. I never brushed my hair, and only washed it once a week. My grandfather once told me that he was glad I had found Ezlo just because he covered my awful bed-head. Well, I thought, maybe if I had hair as long as Vaati's, I would take care of it...nah, probably not.

In a way, that proved that he was actually a lot more industrious and hard-working than I was. Suddenly, I recalled the inside of his textbook and trying to read it. Of course, it had been in a foriegn language, but even after he translated it, it didn't seem to make one bit of sense. It wasn't that he was less studious and grew frustrated too easily--it was just that his work was a lot more difficult. I guess it required a lot more skill, calculation, and precision to invent magic spells, learn three other languages, and brew up potions than to pound a slab of iron into shape. I was physically strong (well at least I was getting there), while he was intellectually strong (but mentally and physically weak). That, I decided, was the greatest difference between us. And that is what I believe melded us together so well.

We were very similar on a minor level, like the same sleeping habits and tastes in clothes, but our major, essential bases were the exact opposite, in strengths, weaknesses, and way of thinking. I was courageous; he was cowardly. I was innocent; he was guilty. I was confident; he was anxious. I had a fair respect for myself; he had low self-esteem. This way, we could rub off on each other. He would teach me to be more modest and cautious in my approaches, and I would teach him to believe in himself and like himself just a little bit more.

Adding everything up that day, I finally came to the conclusion, and I resignedly accepted it. In my mind, I had actually already knew. We were perfect for each other.

(-)

6.) "Link and Vaati in High School"

I got this idea after reading someone else's "Zelda characters in high school" script fic, which included Vaati. That got me to thinking what Vaati would actually be like in high school. In this version, it doesn't exactly follow the manga, but Vaati's not evil. He is the new exchange student from the country of Minishia. On his very first day, he ends up pushing right past Ganondorf (the upperclassman bully), and slamming Zelda against a locker once no one is around and demanding that she hand over all the money in her purse. Everyone automatically thinks he is a troublemaker...he never talks to anyone, dresses in goth/punk styles, and has a surprising amount of strength for his scrawny appearance. However, on their first gym class, Vaati is forced to take off the swirled, deep blue kerchief he always wears wrapped over his head...and afterwards, all his strength disappears. He ends up collapsing back in the boys' locker room, and the coach takes him to the nurse. After this little passage, Link does follow up on his plan, learns how weak Vaati really is, and how he's been using this magical kerchief to give him strength. Eventually, they become friends, and Vaati invites Link to his house where he meets Ezlo, Vaati's uncle, whom he accidentally turned into a hat/bird creature the first time he tried using the kerchief. Link then has to train him and help him so that one day, he won't need the kerchief anymore.

(-)

"But he tried to rob me!" Zelda insisted that morning as she was walking down the corridor with Ruto and Link. "Not that I actually carry any cash on me. Actually, I think he wanted to kidnap me and hold me for ransom. Does that seem like a potential good lunch buddy to you?!"

"He might've had a good reason," Link insisted, running after her. "You _are _the President's daughter, after all. You're always in the news..."

"It's a dang good thing I didn't report him, or _he _would've been all over the news... I could've had him locked up or expelled just for the way he touched me...and I swear, he was trying to hypnotize me or cast some sort of freaky spell over me, the way he kept staring and chanting..."

"Vaati comes from another country, though," Ruto explained. "Maybe that's just the custom where he comes from."

Zelda wrinkled her nose. "If it is, remind me never to take a vacation there."

"They'd probably all _look _like him too, with their long hair and scrabby clothing," Ruto added. "I wouldn't go there if you _paid _me."

Link opened his mouth to try to defend the boy, but he couldn't think of a convincing enough argument. Sure, Vaati had collapsed in gym class and he might have something wrong with him, but he could still be a complete jerk. He was terribly quiet, but that could just be a cover-up for his criminal tendancies.

He finally just sighed. "I just...always thought he looked like a fairly decent person."

Ruto flashed him an encouraging smile. "Link, it's okay. It's just the way you think. You always try to see the best in people, no matter how horrendous they are. That's what I like about you."

Zelda glared back over at her, as if to say "that's not _all _you like about him".

"Uh...thanks," Link forced out. "I've got to get going, though. We have class."

"Yeah!" Ruto replied in sudden shock. "C'mon, Zelda, we're going to be late for Chemistry!"

"Biology," Zelda clarified. "We have Biology."

"Well, Biology then," Ruto said, not realizing her Freudian slip. "C'mon, let's go! Bye-bye Link!"

Link waved back at her and continued down the hall towards his English class. Everyone in the school knew that Ruto had a crush on him, including him, only Ruto didn't know this. It was funny because he found her annoying and clingy, and everyone inwardly laughed when she indirectly hinted at her liking him.

No, Link didn't have time for girls just now--he was too suddenly enthralled by the enigma that was Vaati. He had come from a foreign country, he always wore a spiraled kerchief and grew angry and violent if anyone even tried to touch it. He was exceptionally quiet and mysterious, hanging around dark corners and staring at passersby with blank red eyes. His hair was so long--even longer than the resident ponytailed motorcyclist, and was as shiny and straight as a girl's. His dark chain-and-skull laden clothing marked him as a goth, but he didn't associate with the other resident goths. In fact, it appeared that he hadn't made a single friend.

Link would have felt bad for him, but he didn't seem lonely at all. He was a loner and proud of it. He seemed to exude a sort of silent strength...some powerful aura around him was expelling its energy waves into the atmosphere at this moment. He seemed so strong--he'd slammed Zelda against a locker and demanded that she hand over her purse, and he'd battered Ganondorf out of the way at the entrance steps.

But then, when it came to gym class, he'd been much weakened, collapsing against the cinder-block walls and gasping desperately for breath. Why had his whole defense system suddenly just broken down? Vaati had a secret, Link knew it, and he thought of it as his mission to figure it out.

He shook a little. Maybe he had some horrible disease that was slowly eating away at his strength, or had only come on during gym class. Maybe he was dying. Link really sure hoped not. If that was the case, he needed to make friends! He needed to have fun and enjoy life before it was over! He was going to be his friend! He was going to be the leaning stick into the last years of his life! He was going to save him from a bleak and tragic future. He was...

_Beeeeeeeeeeep! _

He was late for English class.

Link finally found the room and scurried in under the disapproving eye of Mr. Gaebora. The man always dressed in gigantic brown suits and had a thing for cryptic, meaningless poems which hurt your head if you thought about them too long. Thankfully, he didn't recieve a detention. It was only the first time he'd been late.

As the dithering old man continued pacing around the room, talking in indescernable ryhme and riddles, Link leaned his head against his desk and tuned him out. A plan was slowly beginning to formulate in his head. They had gym class again today. Vaati would collapse again. Link would volunteer to take him to the nurse. Then, he'd get him to spill his guts. It was perfect. Flawless. There--_finis_. Now, all he had to do was wait for the opportunity to present itself. ...It was going to be a long English class.

(-)

7.) OMG FLUFF

Just a cute little fluffy scene that got cut. In this version, Vaati had already managed to beat his attacks before they obtained the Metal Element, which was way too soon.

(-)

He loved the little moments like this that they had together. Link was just sitting outside of their tent by the campfire, cradling a warm Vaati in his arms. It was very cold near the very peak of the mountain, and sometimes, its continuous rainfall turned into snow. But it didn't matter because he was plenty warm enough with both the crackling fire and the soft heat of Vaati's body against him.

The poor boy still had a few nightmares and visions of regret, and he still had to come to his mental aid every now and then, but at least his "attacks" seemed to have disappeared, fortunately. Link pulled Vaati's soft, warm body closer and squeezed him affectionately. He was so proud of him...he'd gotten so much better, even though he was still recovering a bit.

Vaati was sleepy and limp, resting his head against Link's shoulder and slumping, drowsily. Probably all tuckered out from the day's hiking. He still hadn't gotten any stronger physically. It was odd, in this state, he didn't mind when Link hugged him and petted him, affectionately. Normally, he pulled back if their hands so much as brushed each other.

It made Link a bit sad every now and then. He knew he liked him very much, but on occasion, it seemed like Vaati didn't return the feelings. These mixed messages were driving him crazy. He either shuddered away from his touch or snuggled into his arms whenever he was scared, tired, or hurt. Was he just a pillow that he could fall back on during times of distress? Was he just his soft cushion of support and encouragement? Oh, well. Link liked being a pillow.

Vaati was just so beautiful... Any other reasonable boy would take a comment like that as a joke or an insult, but Vaati had actually smiled and said, "Really? Thank you so much!" There was just no other way to put it--no other word to describe him. He wasn't handsome. He wasn't good-looking. He wasn't dashing or sexy either. He wasn't even pretty or gorgeous. He was purely beautiful.

Vaati was slowly slipping downward as he thought inwardly about all this. He descended into his lap and lied with his head against Link's thigh. So warm...so soft...so fluffy. Vaati was like a big, mellow kitty, curling up next to him and falling into a light doze. And so, naturally, Link reached down to pet him.

Aaahh...the feel of his soft strands of hair and smooth, glowing skin underneath his hand... It was perfect bliss...a safe, comfy paradise land that they could always retreat to.

Link remembered times in the past when Vaati had spoken negatively about his own appearance and his own body. How could he do that?! It was horrible, especially when he had the most perfect body--thin, smooth, fair skin, free of all bumps and hairs, long, smooth, soft, glistening hair in a very interesting and lovely shade. The only thing he could be criticized for was his complete lack of strength, but that just made him even more precious and endearing.

Link remembered that time when he'd accidentally came upon the pool in which Vaati had been bathing. His skin was just so...purely white. It was so shiny that it was reflective and bounced the blue tones of the ocean off of him. Link wondered if he stuck him under a bright lamp for a long period of time, if he would glow in the dark. His skin was luminous, just like his eyes.

(-)

8.) The Order of the Minish World

Just a little passage I created to document my ideas of how the different types of Minish/Picori interact to produce their "gifts" to the humans. I was calling them Minish here, because I hadn't yet realized that the manga only calls them "picori". I also had Festari as Jentari's apprentice, because I had temporarily forgotten about poor Belari.

(-)

"That's the Minish crest!" Vaati cried, excited that he could explain something to him. "It depicts the four ideals held most highly in the Minish way of life. Each process depends upon one another and has a mutual dependence with the others."

"Oh," Link realized. "Like the Triforce? That depicts wisdom, courage, and power all in equal balance with one another. It's a Hylian symbol."

Vaati nodded. "Yeah, sort of. Each ideal also represents a different Minish race and the sorts of things performed by the elders of each one."

He pointed out each one. "Knowledge." That square was a mostly blue background. "It represents the Forest Minish and Elder Jentari, with his apprentice Festari. They're in charge of gathering a vast amount of knowledge about the world around us as well as human life. Festari's a lot older than the rest of us apprentices, though. He might be getting ready to replace Elder Jentari right now. Another Forest Minish will have to take over the shrine. Then, there's Construction..."

This square was entirely red in color. "...which represents the Mountain Minish and Master Melari. As you know, he likes to keep seven apprentices so he can choose between them after observing them all. Their job is very important, after all, as they're the ones who actually, physically make the artifacts we give to the humans, such as the armos statues and the sacred sword...except, of course, when Ezlo sews or bottles something."

The elder minish chuckled in the background as he listened to his apprentice's explanations.

"Next, there's Discovery..." Discovery was a green-tinted square. "...representing the Town Minish and Elder Librari with his apprentice, Jotari. They're the adventurers...they go off in search of new things about the world to discover. Discovery and Knowledge go hand in hand, as oftentimes Librari reports to Jentari new things he has discovered to be written down as knowledge, and Jentari may need something looked up in the town library. And finally..."

With a big smile, Vaati pointed to the last, purple-themed square. "...There's Invention, which is Master Ezlo and I! We use the knowledge and discovery to infuse the constructed items with the magical properties needed to make them work. It's the toughest part of the process and also the most respected. It's also the only part without any kind of race distinction, though we're both Town Minish..."

"We're more between Town and Forest Minish," Ezlo explained. "A good mix of the two."

"We're 'Suburb' Minish," Vaati said.

"That's awesome," Link replied. "I can't believe there's such order and strategy to the way you guys get things done."

"Yeah," Vaati complained. "Humans always underestimate us. They think we're so cute and naive and just run around singing and squeaking 'picori!' all day..." He snapped his mouth shut. "And that kind of thinking is exactly why I almost destroyed the world, so I think I should shut up now."

Link smiled a little, remembering what he'd heard around the town. He'd even denied that the "Picori" existed. "But it's the truth. Though what you did was terrible, it also helped me, and hopefully the rest of the human race to know the truth about the Minish. That they exist...and they're really not much different from us."

Vaati smiled. "Yeah. That's what I wanted. Of course, I also wanted to take the Light Force from you because I didn't think humans deserved it, but that was the REAL reason!"

(-)

9.) Fluffiness (Link's POV)

Another little random fluffy scene.

(-)

It just came naturally..and I don't know how else to explain it. There he was, snuggling so close against my body. Vaati. My precious Vaati. It was so very comfortable, but somehow, I just yearned to be closer. I wanted to press myself against that comfort...so soft and warm. His hair was exquisitely silken...but I wanted to touch that smooth marble-white skin and find out if it was of the same quality.

Slowly, I brought my face down, until my lips pressed against the surface of his cheek. It was even better than I imagined. Not only soft, but smooth and gently warm.

I shuddered a little, realizing what I'd done and how he might react...but a little smile appeared on his face, though his eyes remained closed. Good. I was a fairly good kisser.

Thus, with everything that makes him smile, I wanted to do it again.

(-)

11.) Vaati Psychology

This was an idea I originally intended to be in the story--I really wanted it in the story, but eventually took it out because Link's heart vision is basically the same thing, producing the same kinds of effects.

(-)

He wiped his eyes and looked down over his shoulder. A small figure stood there with a round face, big eyes, and long ears. Its round little legs identified it, though its looked a little lopsided, and its hands were just a series of triangles. Hair lines hung to its shoulders, like straw. "Cute picori." Vaati smiled a little again and sat next to Link. "I didn't know you liked to draw."

Link looked over at him and smiled, mysteriously. "You like it?" He pushed the pencil doodle on its paper closer to him. "This is a little picori. His name is Vaati."

Vaati frowned. "Do I really look like that?"

"Ahem!" Link replied. "It's rude to interrupt when I'm trying to introduce you to someone!"

Vaati looked at him like he was nuts, but kept his mouth shut and let him continue.

"As I was saying, this is little Vaati. He's kind and thoughtful. He's also very talented, especially when it comes to magic. But right now, Vaati is very sad." Here, Link paused to draw a frown on the doodle's face. Then, he added two teardrops for emphasis.

Vaati frowned along with his penciled likeness. He had a pretty good idea now what Link was trying to do. It probably wasn't going to work. _He's just indirectly telling me to cheer up..._

"So why is he so sad?" Link continued. "Because some big, mean guy keeps telling him that he should never have been born."

Vaati blinked. _Okay...now where is he going with this? _

"What is he going to do? He can't help the fact that he was born. He tries to argue back with the bully and tell him that his parents loved him more than anything else. They wanted him to be born, regardless of the consequences. But his voice is so soft that the bully overpowers him. And this isn't the first time either. This same, big awful person had already told him before that he's useless and that everything bad that happens is his fault. This bully yells at him all the time and sometimes beats him. Poor Vaati is just too small and powerless to stop it. He just can't take much more of this."

Vaati's eyes had been steadily widened caught up in this tale of insight. Was this...really him?

Link looked up from the drawing at last, and straight into Vaati's face. "_You_ are that big, mean bully."

Vaati stared back into his face with shock and awe.

"Now...do you have anything you want to say to little Vaati?"

Vaati's face was beginning to tremble slightly. He stared into the teary face of the little picori doodle, and felt his own eyes begin to cloud over. What was he doing? Somehow, he'd been damaging this little creature. Just look at the destruction he'd caused to it! "I..." he began, and the tears rolled down his cheeks at last. "...I'm sorry."

(-)

Link's Original "Don't Kill Yourself" Speech from Chapter 1

As you can see, I just mostly cut out a bunch of sappy exaggeration words, and Link's slightly lovey tone. It was too early in the story for him to be thinking of him as "my precious Vaati" yet. And I repeated the word "little" too much...which probably would've led many of you to believe that human Vaati is shorter than Link. (Actually, they're almost the same height, Vaati being just a small fraction of an inch taller.)

(-)

...Link couldn't help but pull him into a hug again. He couldn't believe it...he would never have guessed. Vaati was still so wracked with guilt. He couldn't live with it anymore. His trembling, frail little body felt so small in Link's arms. He held him tight, just trying to ease some of the shaking. Poor Vaati...he hated himself, wished he had died...his poor heart was so full of pain and regret. He rocked him back and forth as his soft, quavering little voice continued to repeat, "I'm sorry..."

(-)

... Thinking about their angry reactions and the delicate, devastated little picori boy sobbing in his arms almost made him want to cry too.

"Oh, Vaati..." Gently, Link reached up to hold his head cupped in his hand and run fingers through the soft purple hair. "I can understand now... It's not fair, I know it. Oh, Vaati, it'll be okay. See, I don't hate you. I don't see you as a burden. And Ezlo loves you very much; he would just do anything for you. He wanted to take the blame upon himself. Oh, Vaati, I know it's incredibly hard, and it seems like everything would be better if only you were dead, but that's a horrible thing to say. I know you're hurting very much right now. The others have left so many wounds on that poor little heart of yours. But, please, Vaati, you've got to keep living. Whether you believe it or not, you're very special. You're very precious. Just look at you. You're a beautiful, pure white picori with silky purple hair. You're highly intelligent and a very good sorcerer. Just think of Ezlo and how upset he'd be if you died. He's like your father--he loves and cherishes you. Even I would be upset if you died, especially now, after I know how you feel. Oh, Vaati, you _are _loved and needed in this world. Eventually things will quiet down. Things will get better; I just know it. Please...don't desrtoy yourself like this. Vaati...I can't stand to see you in so much pain."

Link almost did start crying as he cradled the sobbing boy in his arms. Vaati had such soft, weak little sobs. His frail, bony little body seemed ready to collapse. He just kept so much pain locked up in that poor, delicate heart of his and now it was all flooding out at once. Those people had done this to him. Those same people he had saved had injured this poor soul. As Link clutched him tightly in his embrace, he promised to never let anyone hurt his precious little Vaati this much again.

(-)

Four Swords Plus Two Ideas

(The title can either be read like "the Sequal to Four Swords Plus" or "Six Swords") This was just a documentation of another idea I got after reading the Four Swords manga. There was one odd part in which Gufuu/Vaati says "I have sold you my soul" or something like that to the giant poe, but nothing more was ever said about it. And so this idea was born...

(-)

Green gently bent down on his knees in front of it and blew the dust off the cover. "Gee, I wonder how long this has been here."

"Y-You're not really going to open it...are you?" Red shuddered. "What if there's a ghost or a mummy in there!"

"Then we'll fight it off!" Blue protested, jumping forward as if to protect him. "I ain't scared of no mummies or whatever."

Silence fell over the ruin. Green looked up at Vio.

"Go ahead," he encouraged.

Green nodded. Then, with one determined shove, he flipped the heavy cover over onto its side. The Links all crowded around it, except for Red, who hid behind Blue. They gasped, collectively.

"Ohmygosh, there's a person in there!" Red cried.

"I'm not so sure about that..." Vio warned. "He may _look_ like a person, but I doubt he's a real, solid person."

"You're smarter than you look."

The person opened a blood-red eye, the other being hidden under a puffy, strewn bluish-lavender bang. They couldn't see many of his features, because he was bound so tightly to the inside of the casket with thick, thorny vines, but the eye stood out in sharp contrast against unnaturally pale skin. He glared at them. "You...so you've got separate personalities now, huh?" His face contained the utmost loathing. "And you're wearing separate colors. I'll bet that means you've gotten _stronger_, doesn't it?!"

Green blinked. "How...how do you know about us...?"

Without warning, the figure suddenly broke into a mad, horrific scream, struggling against his bindings. "I told him!!! But he wouldn't listen!!! He is nothing without me! NOTHING! I'm the one that _got _him to where he is now!!! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" The figure wrestled with the vines again, but to no avail. He fell back panting, a look of pain crossing his face.

Green automatically reached out to help him, but Vio grabbed his wrist. "No!" he insisted. "We don't know this guy yet. We don't know if we can trust him. He turned his head back down at the prisoner. "Who are you?"

The figure sighed sadly. "Just another poor victim of the ghosts. They locked me up here for knowing too much, and now, they plan on eating me..." His face contorted and droplets of water appeared at the edges of his eyes. "I don't want to be eaten! I swear, I'm just an innocent soul."

Vio gravely stared back at him. "I'm not falling for your little act. _Who are you_?"

The figure sighed again, but this time in frustration. "Oh, fine! You're never going to let me out of here anyway, so I may's well tell you."

The Links moved closer in anticipation. Even Red seemed to have lost his fear in the curiosity. Their eyes widened. Just what sort of person would the ghosts lock up in a casket like this...?

"You know me as Gufuu."

A gigantic question mark appeared in the air above all of their heads. "What?!" Blue cried. "Gufuu?! But we killed him!" Green had begun to laugh. "Yeah, right. Sure you are." "You're too pretty to be Gufuu," Red offered, a sort of compliment. Vio only scrunched his face in thought.

"So you killed him, huh?" The figure claiming to be Gufuu spoke. "I told him! I tried to warn him of this, but he never listens! No one ever listens to me!"

"So you're _not_ Gufuu?" Green asked. "What are you--one of his underlings?"

"I AM NOT AN UNDERLING!"

The Links jumped backwards at his sudden explosion.

He sighed again. Did Link split up his brain too? "I _am_ Gufuu. Or at least a part of him. You destroyed my body. I am Gufuu's soul. My name is Vaati."

The gigantic question mark reappeared. Green's face contorted. "...How can your name be Vaati if you're the soul of Gufuu? Wouldn't your name be Gufuu too? I've never heard of the soul and the body having different names before."

"I'm sooooo confused!!!" Red cried, gripping his head.

"No, I believe him," Vio finally spoke up. "We're in the same situation. We have different names, but we're all parts of one body called Link. I'm Vio, but I'm also Link too. So this Vaati guy is a part of Gufuu and is Gufuu as well." The other Links stared up at Vio.

Vaati stared up at him as well. "That's pretty much the situation," he explained. "I used to be one entity, body and soul, called Vaati. And this is what I looked like. Then, upon gaining the ultimate power, a demon called Gufuu took over my body and transformed it into that Gufuu you are more familiar with. For a while, I still lived inside my body, now Gufuu, and directed it on what to do. We lived in harmony, until Gufuu began to want his own say. I let him do a few things on his own, but I always remained his source of reasoning. But then..."

Vaati's face was beginning to twist in a miserable scowl. "Gufuu was helping build our army by recruiting other demons from his realm of being. I couldn't reach these creatures by myself. I tried to warn him that this was probably a bad move, but he wouldn't listen to me. Eventually, he made up his mind to be rid of me...and he..." Vaati couldn't get the word out.

"He _sold _me!" he finally spat out in disgust. "He _sold me _in exachange for the services of that awful Poe Man thing... Blech...how could he even think... Well, serves him right, he got himself killed right afterwards. I _told _him..."

Vaati took a deep breath to calm himself. "That thing was going to eat me at first, but then decided that I was too valuable, and locked me up in here."

(-)

Since I'm probably never going to write it, the rest of the idea is that the Links make a deal with Vaati that he can come with them and get his body back as long as he promises to help them with their journey (which I hadn't figured out yet). Though he is evil, he begins to soften up a little after being around them for so long. Along the way, Vaati finds the pieces of the dark mirror and reassembles them. Shadow reappears, and he is actually _afraid _of Vaati, since he thinks he'd be mad at him for betraying him. Once they discover his body again, Shadow uses all of his power to help bring revive it. Vaati does regain his body--but it has been twisted and warped out of shape so many times that it can never return exactly to the way it was. He has serious deformities and struggles every day just to walk and to speak. He soon becomes deathly ill, but is saved just in time when the Links produce the power they had used to defeat Ganon--Vaati's own magical power. I'm not sure what the ending was going to be--either Vaati sacrificing himself during the final battle, or just walking away after watching Link re-converge.

Special Thanks, by number of reviews (and then alphabetical)-- Via, Baronfly, koholint, Ripuku, Windfish, FlamingDoritos, kishaz, Magi Nova, taitofan, TeleIce, Ranma Higurashi, Brer Rabbit, Demon Brat 2000, Peka the Corsair, Tri-Edge of the Azure Flames, blank, firewu, heather, ketgirl1992Harvest.EXE, Ryna-chan.

And of course, Nintendo, Akira Himekawa, and the person who translated the manga.

Next, I may consider continuing Unknown, but right now, I _really_ want to write a short prequel about Vaati and Ezlo from the end of the manga to the beginning of this story...


End file.
